Pegaso Arrebatacapas

There is a sense of contained ripeness in the 2022 Pegaso Arrebatacapas, and I had the feeling that 2022 is the year this single-vineyard bottling shows best and above the rest of wines from the year. Despite having higher alcohol (15.4%), the pH is lower (3.32) and the acidity higher (6.03), but it comes through as very balanced. In 2022, the plants got blocked and the cycle was shorter and didn't have time to burn the acidity. All the 2022s are riper and have a sense of ripe berries, but within them, Arrebatacapas has the most elegant, profound and subtle nose and personality. It has the juiciness of ripe Garnacha but with the stony austerity of the soils. 3,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024.

The 2021 Pegaso Arrebatacapas comes from a plot at 1,000 meters above sea level on brown slate soils. It fermented in different containers: oak, stainless steel vats and clay pots, and matured in 500- and 600-liter French oak barrels for 18 months. It has a ripe nose and a more powerful and concentrated palate with more tannins. It has notes of cherries in liqueur and seems to be evolving at a faster pace; it even has a more orange color. It feels more ephemeral. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.55 and 4.73 grams of acidity. It feels different from the other 2021s and needs more time. 3,036 bottles were filled in April 2023.

The 2020 Pegaso Arrebatacapas feels fresher than the 2019 I tasted next to it, despite having higher alcohol (15%). 2020 was less warm than 2019, the cycle was longer and slower, and the grapes developed full aromas and flavors. The wine has more depth and complexity; it's nuanced and balanced. It has a combination of flowers, berries and herbs and is aromatic. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with very round tannins. 1,474 bottles were filled in May 2022.

The 2017 Pegaso Arrebatacapas shows more ripeness than the Pizarra, a plot on slate soils at higher altitude, where the grapes seem to have achieved higher ripeness. Lower yields means the grapes tend to achieve a little more alcohol. It has abundant, dusty tannins and seems to be in need of a little more time in bottle. There are only 700 bottles of this wine, which were filled in July 2020.

The 2016 Pegaso Arrebatacapas is the second vintage of the single-vineyard bottling from Cebreros (even though I'm not sure if the 2015 has been released yet). The 2016 is more expressive and elegant than the initial 2015. This goes very much in line with the Pegaso Pizarra, with a little more grip and some more tannins, and it might require a little more time in bottle. There were only 750 bottles produced in 2016.

For the first time, they have isolated the one plot that for them shows the pure character of the Arrebatacapas slope in Cebreros to bottle the 2015 Pegaso Arrebatacapas. The palate is a lot fresher, with pungent flavors, nice integration of the oak, it has good ripeness, nice balance and ripe tannins with a stony sensation. The mostly destemmed grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and the wine matured in used oak. The one thing that is different about this wine is the texture, provided by the quality of the tannins. 1,100 bottles produced. The 2015s were bottled in July 2017 and the price had not yet been set.