Bodegas Maranones 'Maranones' 2017

The eponymous red 2017 Marañones makes reference to a zone of the same name in the village of San Martín de Valdeiglesias that also names the project. It's pure Garnacha from three vineyards in the named "paraje" on north-facing slopes on granite at 750 to 850 meters in altitude. The full clusters fermented in 3,300-liter French oak foudres with natural yeasts after a cold soak, and the wine matured in 2,500- and 3,00-liter oak foudres for one year. It has a developed color and nose that is quite delicate and Mediterranean, in the style of a ripe vintage of Pignan, with citrus, floral and some balsamic/herbal notes as the wine warms up in the glass. It has the grainy and chalky tannins from the granite soils and is nicely balanced, with contained ripeness and a solid structure. It has the chalky saltiness that I find in many of the Marañones wines. These vineyards delivered good yields in 2017, and the amount of bunches and grapes compensated the warm conditions, resulting in contained ripeness. 7,400 bottles were filled in June 2019. LUIS GUTIERREZ, The Wine Advocate