This time I liked the 2021 El Pecado compared to La Penitencia, despite being a little shy on the nose, but the palate is explosive and full of energy. It was produced with grapes from the Capeli?os Vineyard in Ribeira Sacra. It fermented with some 40% full clusters and matured in used 228-liter oak barrels for now, but the idea is to move to larger volumes, even a foudre. It's medium-bodied, with very fine tannins and a long and clean finish. 1,200 bottles produced.

The 2018 El Pecado is always produced with grapes from the very small Capeli?os vineyard that belongs to Guímaro, just over half a hectare of very old vines—they don’t know exactly how old, but it must be about 100 years old. The vineyard is on a slope at some 350 to 400 meters above sea level and is planted with a Mencía field blend, as in the old times, they always included small percentages of other grapes. They destem a percentage of the grapes, which changes depending on the vintage, and the 2018 was approximately 60% destemmed and fermented in an open 3,000-liter oak vat with indigenous yeasts. It then matured in used 228-liter oak barrels. In 2018, it has a slightly lighter color and is a little more ethereal and elegant than other vintages, with less alcohol and terrific balance. This is perfumed and elegant, a little fuller than La Penitencia, with a very faint creamy touch, perhaps from being aged in the smaller barrels. It has to be one of the finest vintages of El Pecado. 1,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2020.

There is no wine from the 2016 vintage from Ribeira Sacra, so I tasted the 2017 El Pecado, from the same vineyard that produces the Finca Capeli?os from Guímaro. This is always a more elegant style of red, and it fermented with some 65% full clusters and had a softer extraction. This 2017 reminds me of the 2015, with heady aromas of flowers, wild berries, spices and earth and a powerful, vibrant palate that reveals great finesse and very good freshness for a warm year. There are abundant, very fine tannins that might require some more time in bottle, and it has long, dry, salty and mineral finish. 800 bottles produced.

Smoke, menthol and herbal notes frame light cherry and berry flavors in this supple but lively red. Light tannins and fresh acidity impart grip and energy. Focused and balanced. Mencía blend. Drink now through 2020. 60 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Ribeira Sacra Select to Add

The 2015 El Pecado, produced from the Capeli?os vineyard from Guímaro, showed superbly. It has a subtle mix of flowers, wild berries, spices and earth, with great finesse and a vibrant palate with superb freshness for a year like 2015. It also has some citrus notes, very fine tannins and a long, dry and mineral finish. 1,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in early January 2017.