The third and final single vineyard wine I tasted from this estate was the 2016 Dominio de Atauta La Mala Tempranillo. It is called La Mala (the bad one), because the vineyard delivered low yields to the grower. Now of course, it is the good one. The vineyard is 0.7ha of 130 year old vines. It is one of the highest in Ribera del Duero, at 950m, and facing north. There is only 70cm of poor sandy soil before the roots hit limestone rock.
This wine shows great clean purity. The intense sour cherry flavour delivers a steely mouthfeel. Acidity of this wine is high, as the minerality on the finish is accompanied by firm tannins. This profile clearly reflects the vineyard location, orientation, and soil. I find the flavours are losing out to acidity and tannin structure, but this is a matter of personal preference. The wine is well made. It will benefit from some serious decanting.
Score: 92/+
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