2018 Navascues Enologia Cutio Garnacha DO Carinena Tinto Carinena

90/100 Robert Parker

The Cutio range has changed completely, as the grapes are now from Almonacid de la Sierra, where they also have a new separate winery for it. The red 2018 Cutio Garnacha-Cariñena contains 15% Cariñena grapes, all from head-pruned vines averaging 50 years of age and mostly on marl and slate soils. It went through a four-day cold soak and then fermented with indigenous yeasts with a total maceration time of 45 days. The Cariñena comes from one single plot that is slightly younger, on very stony soils. It feels quite marked by the Cariñena, balsamic and creamy, with a touch of rusticity, tree bark and mint. The palate is more austere than anticipated, with fine-grained tannins and balanced acidity. This wine has changed completely compared with previous vintages, and also the bottle and label have changed, volumes and price have changed too. It matured in 225-liter French oak barrels of different ages. 35,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2019.