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La Faraona 2021

La Faraona

2021
99
PARKER

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£2,243.95

/ 0.75 L btl
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Spec sheet

TypeRed wine
Region
Grapes
Producer
AllergensContains sulfites
Alcohol contenti13.5%

The wine

La Faraona is majestic, excellent, an extraordinary wine that makes us feel in complete awe of nature. It is a profound wine, brimming with mystery, and the experience of smelling and tasting it is almost mystical. Fortunate indeed are those who have the opportunity to try it.

Summary of Ricardo P. Palacios' evaluation of the 2016 vintage

2016 began mild and fairly rainy. It wasn't until the end of February that winter showed its true colours and brought some snow and frosts. April and May were problematic months as regards rainfall, which brought about a delay and an imbalance in the vegetative state of the vines.

Summer entered dry and rather warm on the Corullón slopes and the vines, as a late flowering crop, benefitted from these conditions, getting over the setbacks of the previous months.

September was a month of pleasant temperatures which prepared the way for a more tranquil harvest than the one in 2015. The grapes came through in a fine state of health and maturity, and harvesting was spread out over time, which allowed vinification to occur at a comfortable pace, safeguarding the freshness and the ethereal essence of a typically Atlantic vintage.

Ratings and awards

202297-100 PK
202199 PK
202099 PK99 SK98 DC
201999 PK98 PN94 SK
2018100 PK98 PN97 SK
201797-99 PK98 PN
PK: ParkerPN: PeñínSK: SucklingDC: Decanter

Wine critics reviewsReviews by Parker, Parker, and Suckling

The pale and delicate 2020 La Faraona is the lowest in alcohol at 13.5% and is more reductive than its siblings—flinty and faintly smoky. It needs breathing, so it might be a good idea to decant it in advance if you're going to open a bottle any time soon. What's important is that the palate is terribly balanced, with lots of ultra fine tannins, silky, soft, full of flavors, elegant, complex and nuanced. It has lots of inner energy and tension, and it's subtle and ethereal. The finish is full of sweet red fruit and violets, nicely balanced by the tannins and the acidity. It's delicious and should develop nicely in bottle and drink well throughout its life. It's hard to compare with previous vintages, as this is more delicate than any previous years. It's a different style but every bit as good as 2019. The vineyard is 85% Mencía and the rest other varieties; when they bought the vineyard, it was 50% white grapes, and they have slowly been replanting and regrafting it, looking after every single plant. It's a half hectare at the top of the slope, at 975 meters in altitude, one of the highest vineyards in Bierzo. Like Moncerbal and Las Lamas, La Faraona is certified organic starting in 2020. Bravo! 1,400 bottles were filled in October 2021.

— Luis Gutiérrez (31/01/2022)Robert Parker Wine Advocate Vintage 2020 - 99 PARKER

The 2021 La Faraona is expressive and aromatic, with notes of Mediterranean herbs and hints of grains and cereals, quite complex, developing notes of star aniseed and fennel. Like all of the 2021s, this is extremely elegant. Ricardo Pérez Palacios told me that they are achieving the balance in the vineyard; the wine is crunchy, and the tannins and the acidity combined give a sense of freshness above what the pH or the pure acidity might suggest. There is a little more juiciness, a little more depth. This is a very extreme vineyard, and in 2021, they did a big selection because it was a challenging year; they harvested over four tries and produced three separate vats, and finally only one was selected. He compared it to the 2015 that has a little more volume and is slightly riper. They only produced two barrels that resulted in 647 bottles, 19 magnums, five double magnums and four Jeroboams. It was bottled in December 2022.

— Luis Gutiérrez (10/08/2023)Robert Parker Wine Advocate Vintage 2021 - 99 PARKER

Bright red with crushed-berry and cherry aromas and hints of spices. Subtle black pepper and slate. Ultra-fine tannins and a fruity finish. Yet, it’s so refined and beautiful, long and subtle. Drinkable now, but needs four or five years to come together. Better after 2023 and onwards.

— James Suckling (14/10/2021)JamesSuckling.com Vintage 2019 - 94 SUCKLING

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The winery

Descendientes de J. Palacios

Descendientes de J. Palacios

The small town of Corullón is set in a landscape of hills, amidst ancient slate-covered slopes, in a land of monks and pilgrimages (Compostela is not far away) and amongst Mencía grapes - an exceptional setting which Ricardo Pérez Palacios and Álvaro Palacios (Álvaro Palacios, Priorat) discovered in 1999. A new winery to join the Palacios dynasty (Palacios Remondo, in La Rioja), it extends to a total of 27 ha of vineyards scattered over nearly...

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