Aalto Bodegas y Viñedos : Aalto PS 2023

The top of the range I tasted was also from 2023, a warm and ripe year but more balanced and fresher than 2022. The 2023 PS, which stands for Pagos Seleccionados ("selected vineyards"), matured in new French oak barrels for 21 months. It has a creamy, spicy and smoky nose, which is intoxicating and showy. The textbook notes of black fruit, spices, ash and quality oak are there, as is the round and lush palate with abundant tannins that should make it long lived. It comes in at 14.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.54 and 5.33 grams of acidity. It was bottled in September 2025.