Peter Sisseck, the iconoclast behind cult wine, Pingus, wanted to pare down the winemaking for a more classical and youthfully expressive Duero red. The name he chose, "Psi," is the Greek letter that resembles the old head-pruned vine depicted on the label, echoing the focus on a more straightforward expression of the vines.
Reflecting the traditions of planting a mix of varieties here, the savory-tinged Tempranillo is complemented by some expansive, juicy Garnacha, which really helps make this so friendly. "Psi" combines sun-kissed tones of fleshy plum, crunchy dark and red berries, flowers, Mediterranean herbs and stony earth, all surrounding a firm, mineral core. Oak only plays a supporting role here. The expansive mouthfeel transitions into a softly-tapered finish with Tempranillo's signature chalky, pixelated sensations left on the palate. A serious wine that happens to be a crowd-pleaser. Practices organic and biodynamic farming.
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - The bottled 2022 PSI follows the character of the sample I tasted last year: it's clean, expressive and open. It's perfumed, elegant, floral and quite attractive and does not transmit any heat. In fact, it has contained ripeness and around 13.8% alcohol. They have improved the selection tremendously, and the wine has gained in precision; it's better each year. There is something that reminds me of the old vintages of Pesquera (1994 and before), with notes of orange peel and aromatic herbs. It's medium-bodied, has fine tannins and very good freshness. Only 20% of the volume matured in barrel and the rest in large oak vats (2,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-liter ones), and the élevage is quite respectful of the wine. This should be readily available, as they produced 360,000 bottles in 2022. It's detailed and hand-crafted, real wine in good volume, coming from 700 plots of old vines, all in all around 8% Garnacha. Despite the conditions of the year, this has to be one of the finest vintages of PSI."
Reflecting the traditions of planting a mix of varieties here, the savory-tinged Tempranillo is complemented by some expansive, juicy Garnacha, which really helps make this so friendly. "Psi" combines sun-kissed tones of fleshy plum, crunchy dark and red berries, flowers, Mediterranean herbs and stony earth, all surrounding a firm, mineral core. Oak only plays a supporting role here. The expansive mouthfeel transitions into a softly-tapered finish with Tempranillo's signature chalky, pixelated sensations left on the palate. A serious wine that happens to be a crowd-pleaser. Practices organic and biodynamic farming.
WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - The bottled 2022 PSI follows the character of the sample I tasted last year: it's clean, expressive and open. It's perfumed, elegant, floral and quite attractive and does not transmit any heat. In fact, it has contained ripeness and around 13.8% alcohol. They have improved the selection tremendously, and the wine has gained in precision; it's better each year. There is something that reminds me of the old vintages of Pesquera (1994 and before), with notes of orange peel and aromatic herbs. It's medium-bodied, has fine tannins and very good freshness. Only 20% of the volume matured in barrel and the rest in large oak vats (2,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-liter ones), and the élevage is quite respectful of the wine. This should be readily available, as they produced 360,000 bottles in 2022. It's detailed and hand-crafted, real wine in good volume, coming from 700 plots of old vines, all in all around 8% Garnacha. Despite the conditions of the year, this has to be one of the finest vintages of PSI."
