The red 2018 Carroleón Prieto Picudo is a varietal Prieto Picudo from a single vineyard that names the wine, a plot that was planted in 1999 on alluvial stony soils. It has dark berry aromas and an earthy touch. The wine matured for two years in new barrels in an underground centenary cave where their ancestors made wine. Despite the oak treatment, the wine is more balanced than the 2018 Gamonal, with less oak aromas and some grainy tannins. For fans of oaky reds. If not for the variety, it could be confused with an oaky Ribera del Duero. I think Prieto Picudo is too delicate for so much oak. 6,600 bottles were filled in December 2020. I now read that I made very similar comments about the previous vintage I tasted...

The ashy and smoky 2015 Carroleón Prieto Picudo comes from the vineyard of the same name, planted in 1999 at 830 meters in altitude. The wine has a classical profile (it can even remind you of some Riojas), a style from the mid-1990s, and it was aged in brand new barriques for two years. But somehow, the wine has taken the oak better than the Gamonal, and even if it's oaky, it has more nuance and perfume. The palate is medium to full-bodied with abundant dusty tannins. It should do well with rustic and powerful food to match the style of the wine. 3,900 bottles were filled in February 2018.

Prieto Picudo is the grape here, and it’s not your run-of-the-mill red variety. The nose is minty green and rustic, and you can tell it’s not cut from a common cloth. In the mouth, Carroleon shows cassis and carob, while the finish has chocolate and a medicinal essence. Top-heavy in terms of concentration, with a thin middle tier.——M.S.(6/1/2009)—— 86