96+ points Wine Advocate
Drink Date: 2026 - 2040
The serious and somewhat austere 2024 El Escolladero is from 0.95 hectares in the lieu-dit of El Meadero in the village of Ábalos. The vines were planted in 1950 on clay and limestone soils at 660 meters above sea level. The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Graciano with contained ripeness and lower alcohol than in previous years 13.8% while keeping a pH of 3.42 the same as before which resulted in more freshness and a more elegant wine within the general powerful profile. The destemmed but uncrushed grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 600-liter oak foudres for 12 months. The palate is medium-bodied with very focused precise and clean flavors spikes of freshness and very fine chalky tannins. It finishes long clean and fresh. 1800 individually numbered bottles were filled in November 2025.

Planted in 1930 to 75% Tempranillo and 25% Graciano at 600 meters on limestone. This not even football field sized vineyard is extremely low yielding (about 1/4 of nearby vineyards). Escollo means barrier so Escolladero is place with the barrier because of the rugged impassable mountainside it sits next to.