El Parvón 2018

I tasted two new reds, starting with the younger 2018 El Parvón, produced from an ancient vineyard planted on sand, limestone and sandstone soils in the village of Villabuena del Puente. It's from a small plot of ungrafted vines that contains some 800 plants of Tinta de Toro and 300 vines of white varieties (Verdejo, Moscatel, Malvasía de Toro and Palomino), so they vinify 85% red grapes and 15% white grapes together. The wine reached 15% alcohol, but there is no sensation of heat or alcohol; it manages to keep its poise and freshness, providing balance. It's nicely textured with the characteristic chalkiness of the best wines from the zone. It's also a lighter expression of Toro. Like all of their wines, the grapes are certified organic. It matured in oak barrels for 24 months. Only 650 bottles were filled in November 2020.