This pre-phylloxera vineyard was planted in the 1850s and is one of the oldest surviving vineyards in the world. Like Balado, there is very little topsoil over a mother rock of hard granite. Here, the wine is fermented and aged in a large, old 22 HL foudre and encouraged to finish its malolactic fermentation. Given the incredible vine age, this wine often displays the most haunting complexity and depth of the single vineyards.

No 2025 review yet - Here is the 2023 review for comparison of a similarly warm growing season:
97 pts Robert Parker WA (2023)
Drink Date: 2025 - 2035
The 2023 El Palomar has an intriguing savory note on the nose, perhaps chicken broth (which to me means umami). Going much further than the varietal notes here, it's nuanced and complex and with a super serious, austere and mineral palate, like liquid granite. This is truly impressive, seamless and complete, with ripeness and full development of aromas and flavors but in an elegant and subtle way. 2023 is stunning. It should age magnificently in bottle; it has the stuffing and the balance between all the components to do so.

THE track record...
2023: 97WA  2022: 95WA
2021: 97WA  2020: 97WA
2019: 96WA  2018: 96WA