2018 Mauro Crianza
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Tasting notes
I tasted two vintages of some of the wines, which makes for a very interesting comparison of the character of each year. The 2018 Mauro, from a cool and rainy year, is fresher than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It's a blend of 90% Tinto Fino or Tempranillo and 5% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from certified organic vineyards, and it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in French and American oak barrels and foudres for some 15 months. It's serious and a bit closed, going in a way to the style of the Mauro from yesteryear, perhaps a little more floral and aromatic. It feels younger and less developed than the 2019. It's powerful and has finesse and balance, with depth and complexity. 300,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Inky ruby. Primary, mineral-tinged black and blue fruits, potpourri, oak spices and woodsmoke on the highly perfumed nose. Sweet, deeply concentrated boysenberry, licorice and cherry cola flavors fan out steadily on the palate, picking up spiciness and a touch of candied flowers on the back half. Broad and youthfully chewy in texture. Finishes with excellent length and dusty tannins contributing shape and closing grip.
Based largely on Tempranillo (there are 10% other red varieties), the 2018 Mauro has a solid bouquet of mulled cherry and darker currants as well as plenty of dusty earth, baking spices, and vanilla. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, it's certainly an outstanding wine that I suspect will evolve gracefully for a decade.