The 2016 Planella is now 75% Cari?ena and 25% Syrah. It fermented with full clusters and natural yeasts and matured in oak barrels for 12 to 14 months without racking. I previewed the wine just before bottling, once it was out of barrels, blended and ready to be bottled. There is a lot more freshness and precision compared with the 2015. The year was a little cooler, and the vinification was all full cluster (they sold the destemmer in 2012) with foot treading. Their aim is to make a classical wine from the Darmós zone of Montsant, which is more influenced by the Ebro River than the rest of the appellation. The nose is perfumed and subtle, and the palate is medium-bodied and very balanced, terrifically tasty, with a salty twist and very good length. This is the new direction of their wines, and what I tasted should be very much what goes into bottle. 14,000 bottles will be filled in March 2018.