I also tasted the red 2020 Dido next to the 2019 vintage of it. There is more fruit in the 2020, and the wine is gentler and softer than the 2019; it's juicy and has more tannin (or grainier), and it comes through as more concentrated. It's intense and a little more exuberant, but it keeps the freshness on the granite soils. Despite the mildew in 2020, they managed to produce 85,000 bottles. It was bottled in January 2022.

The red 2019 Dido was produced with grapes from their younger vineyards on granite soils, a blend of Garnacha, Syrah, Cari?ena, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon matured in oak containers of different sizes and concrete (mostly). The whole Dido range represents amazing value, and the red is no exception. The grapes from granite soils (the Garnacha) have a long maceration and the rest (in limestone) have shorter macerations, and all of these things give it complexity. I almost always get some aromatics from the Syrah (which can represent 25% to 30%); it's a grape that has contained alcohol on granite, even if the final blend is 14% (and the same in 2020). It's juicy and has fine tannins, and it's balanced, very complete and easy to drink but with complexity and depth. 95,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.

The red 2018 Dido coms from their youngest vineyards, mostly under 30 years old, on granite soils that provide freshness and tension to compensate for the warmth of the southern Montsant. It's a blend of Garnacha, Syrah, Cari?ena, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from five different growers. The Garnacha and Syrah are fermented together with some 30% whole clusters and a long maceration, and the rest of the grapes fermented destemmed with a short maceration, all with indigenous yeasts and mostly in concrete vats. Sixty percent of the volume matured in barrels and foudres of sizes varying from 300 to 4,000 liters, and the rest was kept in concrete for 16 months. It seems like the combination of granite soils and the cooler year has worked wonders for this wine, which showed spectacularly. They say this is what they wanted to achieve with this wine; it is floral, expressive, clean and focused, with perfectly integrated oak, all the varieties complementing each other—not showing any varietal character—and a juicy palate with astonishing balance. This is truly outstanding. This comes at an unbelievable price and should be widely available. 88,357 bottles, 520 magnums and 35 double magnums produced. It was bottled between December 2019 and January 2020.

The red 2017 Dido shows a lot of aromas from the Syrah (always a significant part of the blend, around 20%), with some smoked bacon and violet aromas and always with contained ripeness, as it's planted on granite soils that take a long time to ripen. It has good complexity and great juiciness, with even more freshness than the already-phenomenal 2016. There are very fine tannins and the electric sensation from the granite soils. This is just amazing, one of the finest vintages for this bottling, like a relaxed version of the 2013. Amazing value. 85,000 bottles produced.

Smoky and earthy notes frame black cherry and licorice flavors in this firm red. The tannins are assertive, but balsamic acidity keeps the wine lively. A bit rustic, but solid; decant. Garnacha, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2026. 5,500 cases made, 290 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Montsant Select to Add