Carroa 2021 Red

An important chapter in Spain's recent wine revolution has taken place in the cellar. New winemaking facilities, equipped with smaller vessels capable of vinifying separate batches of grapes, have unveiled the hidden potential of specific plots, sites, grape varieties and soil types. This deeper understanding has led to the release of a new set of premium wines.

This fresh approach has proven particularly beneficial for high-volume producers. A prime example is Protos in Ribera del Duero. Originally a cooperative in Peñafiel, Protos became a limited company in 1995 and now produces around 7.5 million bottles a year.  However, it has also developed dedicated facilities for its limited production wines.

This area is dedicated to Protos 27 (150,000 bottles, €29), a traditional styled red reminiscent of Ribera’s wines of yesteryear, released in 2017 to mark the winery's 90th anniversary. Other wines made there are the top-of-the-range El Grajo Viejo (5,000 bottles, €69), sourced from microplots sheltered by the Cuesta de Manvirgo hill in Roa and La Horra; and, since the 2021 vintage, the new Carroa.

Carroa, which means "road to La Horra", refers to a set of very specific plots in the villages of Anguix, Boada and La Horra, in the province of Burgos. They were planted with mass selections of Tinto Fino by Anguix nurserymen in the 1940s and 1950s. Many of these grapes had traditionally been used in Protos Reserva or Gran Reserva, but several micro-vinifications by the technical team revealed a distinctive wine profile: more fruit-driven, greater tension and lower pH levels, often associated with gravelly soils.

The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and undergoes partial malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. It is then aged for 16 months in 225-litre French oak barrels, followed by eight months in wooden vats, with a portion aged in egg-shaped concrete tanks. The use of large wooden vats was recommended by Pascal Chatonnet, who has been advising Protos on its projects in Ribera del Duero and Cigales since 2017 and works closely with the group's technical director, Marilena Bonilla.

With nearly 50,000 bottles produced in the first 2021 vintage, Carroa is relatively accessible compared to many current premium offerings that focus on single vineyard wines. Its presentation stands apart from the rest of the Protos range, with a matte frosted bottle and minimalist label. The wine itself is elegant, with ripe fruit and fresh herbal notes over a dairy background. It is notable for its juiciness, vibrancy and length. More restrained in structure than many of the estate's other wines, Carroa is smooth and enveloping. Although it has the potential to develop over time, on release it feels already polished and beautifully balanced - it's hard to believe it's 15% abv. For its debut, Carroa also benefits from the excellent conditions of the 2021 vintage, which enhance its freshness.

€48 
49,000 bottles
15% abv.
Score: 94