Las Rocas 2009 Garnacha Vinas Viejas 6 Pack
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Parker
Robert
Your Rating
Somm Note
Description
Alcohol by Volume: 15.2%
90 Points
The Wine Advocate
"My favorite of this trio, and a big time sleeper, is the outstanding 2009 Las Rocas Garnacha Vinas Viejas, which comes from 60-100-year old vines planted at 2,500-3,500 feet elevations. Aged ten months in old French and American oak, it possesses 15.2% alcohol along with a deep ruby/purple color and copious notes of plums, raspberries, black cherries, lavender and licorice, a full-bodied texture, and impressive purity, depth and freshness."
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
My favorite of this trio, and a big time sleeper, is the outstanding 2009 Las Rocas Garnacha Vinas Viejas, which comes from 60-100-year old vines planted at 2,500-3,500 feet elevations. Aged ten months in old French and American oak, it possesses 15.2% alcohol along with a deep ruby/purple color and copious notes of plums, raspberries, black cherries, lavender and licorice, a full-bodied texture, and impressive purity, depth and freshness.
Although the D.O. is quite young, vines have been grown in the zone for some time. About one eighth of the vineyard land’s production has been bottled at one of Spain’s best and most progressive cooperatives, San Alejandro. With an abundance of amazing raw material, Eric Solomon was able to commission several bottlings of very old vine fruit into what has become one of the most sought-after estates in the portfolio. Calatayud benefits from a continental climate with vast temperature differences between night and day. Harvests are much later than in other parts of Aragon, and the acidity/maturity/alcohol ratios tend to be more balanced.
As most of the vineyards lie on what was (thousands of years ago) an old river basin, the soil is comprised of brown limestone and loam over slate and gypsum. This particular soil is also ideal for production of olives, cherries, and other fruits. Jean-Marc Lafage (of Domaine Lafage in France’s Roussillon) is responsible for the Las Rocas cuvees.