Bodegas Atalaya Laya 2023 750ml

The entry-level 2023 Laya, produced with 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell from dry-farmed 30-year-old vines on limestone and stony soils fermented in open-top stainless steel vats. It fermented with neutral yeasts and matured for four months in used French oak barrels, where it also underwent malolactic fermentation. It is fruit-driven and easy to drink, juicy, with 14% alcohol, a pH of 3.79 and 5.6 grams of acidity. It has a very dark color and an expressive nose redolent of black olives and tomato vine, notes descriptive of the variety, with a Northern Rhône whiff. It's juicy and round on the palate, with polished tannins. It delivers way above its price point. 160,000 bottles produced, whereas they usually make over 250,000. It was bottled in May 2024. (Luis Gutiérrez)

The 2024 Laya is 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell from Almansa. Slightly reductive at first, it reveals red fruit, subtle florals and a sanguine blood orange core. The palate is grippy, with a chalky sensation and slightly unruly tannins. Amply built and well crafted.