EMILIO MORO BODEGAS MALLEOLUS DE VALDERRAMIRO 2016

There is a volatile whiff in the 2016 Malleolus de Valderramiro, which is always headier and feels riper than the Sancho Martín. It has abundant, powdery tannins, good ripeness without excess and a dry, long finish. There's something intriguing on the nose here that I could not identify, sweet spices for sure but something perfumed too.

The single vineyard 2016 Malleolus De Valderramiro comes from a great vintage for the region and is all Tempranillo, brought up in French oak. It has a pretty, perfumed bouquet of ripe blue (and some black) fruits as well as candied violets, cedary spice, and tobacco. More medium-bodied, it has good freshness, moderate mid-palate depth, some firmer tannins, and outstanding length. It's a solid step back from the 2015 yet is still a pretty, perfumed, elegant wine. If the mid-palate fills in with bottle age, it will warrant a higher rating. Give bottles another year or two in the cellar and enjoy over the following decade.