Astrales 2018

Maximum expression of a Tempranillo

 

  • Grape variety: Tinto Fino 100%.
  • Alcohol content: 15.5% vol.
  • Vineyard location: old vines mainly in Anguix, average age of vines 45 years.
  • Type of soil: Clay-calcareous and stony.
  • Yields: 3,500 kg/ha.
  • Vinification: Grapes are hand sorted. Gravity fed into 50hl vats where fermentation
    takes place with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration for 15 days. It contains sulfites.
  • Ageing: 18 months in mainly French oak barrels.

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2018 Vintage

The 2018 campaign was characterized by a cold and dry start to the
winter, with the soils showing a scarce water reserve carried over from the
previous year, with the expected rains appearing at the beginning of spring with abundant rainfall, which loaded the soils with this element. Budding came somewhat later than normal, with a cool end to spring, which caused a delay in the vegetative cycle. At the beginning of the summer, temperatures rose, and rainfall ceased, followed by August and September with high temperatures and a few isolated storms without consequences, which managed to compensate for the delay in ripening, with the vines being harvested in optimum conditions of health and ripeness.

Tasting Notes

Astrales 2018 stands out for its powerful nose of black fruits, spices, balsamics
and toast, with a great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, a vintage of great intensity and backbone, finishing with a firm and fine tannicity, allowing excellent ageing over the coming years.

 

Previous Vintages

Astrales 2017

Fresher, more balanced and richer in nuances

 

  • Grape Variety: Tinto Fino 100%
  • Alcohol Content: 15% vol.
  • Vineyards Location: Anguix (Burgos), average of the vines 45 years.
  • Type of Soil: Clay – calcareous and stony.
  • Yield: 3.500 Kg per ha.
  • Production Process: Grapes are hand sorted. Gravity fed into 50hl vats where fermentation takes place with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration for 15 days.
  • Ageing: 18 months mainly in French oak barrels.
  • Date of bottling: July 2019

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2017 Vintage

The winter began quite cold, with the wood of the vines parched, the weather changed in February to higher temperatures than usual, that caused an early sprouting of the vines. A severe frost occurred at the end of April resulting in a significant decrease in production and a delay in the vegetative cycle. From then on, temperatures and rainfall conditions were excellent for the development and maturation of the grapes, achieving a harvest of extraordinary quality, although leaving the harvest in short supply.

Tasting Notes

Astrales 2017 stands out for its intense nose of black fruits, spice, balsamic and toast, with great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, great intensity and backbone, finishing with a firm and fine tannicity, allowing excellent ageing over the coming years.

 

Ratings and Awards

 

95 pts Guide Wine Week 2020 “Balsamic and toast, with great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, great intensity and backbone”.

94 pts Gourmets Wine Guide 2021 – “Persistent end. Its excellent woodwork stands out”

93 pts ABC Wine Guide 2021 – “Outstanding, it shows an immense fruit quality and a great journey in the mouth”

93 pts Wine Enthusiast – “Astrales 17 among the world’s top 100 with best guarding and evolution”

93 pts Guide Vivir el Vino 2021

93 pts Guide 900 Wines by Juan Fernández Cuesta

93 pts Guia WineUp

92 pts Robert Parker

92 pts Guide James Suckling “Blueberries and blackberries with some lavender undertones. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a medium finish. Drink or hold”

91 pts Guía Peñín

Astrales 2016

The supreme expression of Tinta Fina

 

  • Grape Variety: Tinto Fino 100%
  • Alcohol Content: 15% vol.
  • Vineyards Location: Anguix (Burgos), average of the vines 45 years.
  • Type of Soil: Clay – calcareous and stony.
  • Yield: 3.500 Kg per ha.
  • Production Process: Grapes are hand sorted. Gravity fed into 50hl vats where fermentation takes place with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration for 15 days.
  • Ageing: 18 months mainly in French oak barrels.
  • Date of bottling: July 2018

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2016 Vintage

A vintage of excellent quality for Los Astrales, characterized by a mild and relatively dry winter, with a start of fresh and wet spring that caused a slight delay in the budding of the vineyard. There were no significant spring frosts and no major summer storms. The months of June and July showed higher than normal temperatures and a certain drought, which resulted in a healthy, well ripened and well-balanced harvest.

Tasting Notes

Astrales 2016 stands out for its intense nose of black fruits, spices, balsamic and toasted notes, with great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, great intensity and backbone, finishing with a firm and fine tannicity, allowing excellent ageing over the coming years.

 

Ratings and Awards

 

95 pts Guide Wine Week 2019 “It has moderated the sweet excesses (toffee, vanilla) of previous vintages and is fresher and more balanced”.

95 pts Guia Salon Gourmets 2020

94 pts Guia ABC 2020

94 pts Guia Proensa 2020

93,5 pts and CIVAS Gold Medal in the AkataVino CIVAS 2019 Awards

93 pts Robert Parker

92 pts James Suckling

92 pts Guía Vivir el Vino 2020

91 pts Guía Peñín

90 pts Anuario  de Vinos El País

Astrales 2015

A wine that will mark a period

 

  • Grape Variety: Tinto Fino 100%
  • Alcohol Content: 15% vol.
  • Vineyards Location: Anguix (Burgos), average of the vines 45 years..
  • Type of Soil: Clay – calcareous and stony.
  • Yield: 3.500 Kg per ha.
  • Production Process: Grapes are hand sorted. Gravity fed into 50hl vats where fermentation takes place with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration for 15 days.
  • Ageing: 18 months mainly in French oak barrels.
  • Date of bottling: July 2017

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2015 Vintage

An excellent quality vintage for Los Astrales. The most striking note of this season has been the small size of the grapes (around 20% less than usual), which has resulted in easy ripening. On the other hand, the advance harvest and heat recorded have not had a noticeable influence on the balance of the berries, finding good amounts of sugar, but without affecting the pH and acid component, although this is based more than usual on malic acid. For its part, the phenolic ripening has been very good both in color and in tannin quality due to the long duration of the process that has allowed to besiege the tannins making them elegant.

As for the harvest itself, this one has had a short duration if we speak of its total duration, although 25% longer than usual if we take into account the data of entry of grapes between 10-90%. The way in which the grapes enter the presses has been favored by the good climatic conditions prevailing during the months of September and beginning of October, allowing the grape harvest in optimal conditions.

Tasting Notes

Astrales 2015 stands out for its intense nose of black fruits, spices, balsamic and toasted notes, with great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, great intensity and backbone, finishing with a firm and fine tannicity, allowing excellent ageing over the coming years.

 

Ratings and Awards

 

95 pts Vivir el Vino (Spain)  “Long finish where the typical tannins of the Ribera are kept, balanced.”

94 pts James Suckling

93 pts View from the Cellar “On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nascently complex and very well-balanced”

93 pts Guía ABC (Spain)

92 pts Robert Parker

92 pts Guia Peñin  “A wine full of flavours and nuances”

92 pts Guía Gourmet “Tasteful, balanced, fresh, correct structure”

91 pts Wine Enthusiast “Drink through 2030”

91 pts Guia Proensa “Quality tannins, tasty, expressive, ample”

Astrales 2014

A pleasure of wine

 

  • Grape Variety: Tinto Fino 100%
  • Alcohol Content: 15% vol.
  • Vineyards Location: Anguix (Burgos), average of the vines 45 years..
  • Type of Soil: Clay – calcareous and stony.
  • Yield: 3.500 Kg per ha.
  • Production Process: Grapes are hand sorted. Gravity fed into 50hl vats where fermentation takes place with native yeasts. Fermentation and maceration for 15 days.
  • Ageing: 18 months mainly in French oak barrels.
  • Date of bottling: July 2016

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2014 Vintage

A vintage of great quality for Los Astrales, marked by a relatively rain winter, and a mild spring that caused an early bud break. Summer started rather cool, although the second half temperatures were higher than usual. Rainfall during the growing season was rather low, compensated with reserves of water accumulated in the subsoil. A timely storm, without damage, around Anguix at the beginning of July, contributed an extra amount of moisture to the vineyards, which together with a slightly later harvest than the rest of the vineyards in the area, provided excellent ripeness of the grapes.

Tasting Notes

Astrales 2014 stands out for its intense nose of black fruits, spices, balsamic and toasted notes, with great balance, a lingering finish on the palate, great intensity and backbone, finishing with a firm and fine tannicity, allowing excellent ageing over the coming years.

 

Ratings and Awards

95 pts Gourmet Wine Guide 2018 “Tasty, well-structured, lively.”

95 pts Wine Review Online by Michael Franz

93 pts Guide Peñín 2018 “Powerful, ripe fruit.”

92 pts Robert Parker – 28/02/2017 “Elegant and polished.”

92 pts Vinous – May 2017 “I like the vivacity of this wine.”

92 pts James Suckling – 24/07/2017 “Powerful palate.”

91 pts Wine Spectator – 30/07/2017 “Meaty.”

More awards:
95 pts Proensa Guide 2017 “Tasty, balanced, full-bodied.”
93 pts Guide to Wine Week 2017 “Fresh, balanced and rich in nuances.”
91 pts No Bad Uva 2017 “Wide and Magnificent Balance.”
90 pts El País 2016 “With structure and great fruit load.”