Winemaker Notes
It will develop its potential over the next 5 years and then continue its refinement in the bottle, reaching its high towards 2019.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Pago Valdebellon, pure Cabernet Sauvignon, has the cassis and herbal aromas so typical from the variety, but in 2011 it ripened perfectly and also reveals showy, dark aromas of graphite, black pepper and smoke. It does have some aromas of dark chocolate and smoke, but the oak is perfectly integrated and makes those aromas of paprika come out and provide freshness. The palate is medium to full-bodied with classical dusty, grainy tannins, good acidity, and very good balance, a big, powerful and ripe Cabernet which really benefitted from the 2011 growing season. This has to be one of the top Cabernet Sauvignons produced in Spain. Drink 2015-2020.
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James Suckling
Bright purple. Heady cassis, cherry-vanilla, floral pastille, licorice and incense scents show excellent clarity and suggestions of woodsmoke and pipe tobacco. Densely packed, fresh redcurrant and cherry liqueur flavors are complicated by candied rose, minerals and black pepper, with bright acidity adding lift. Turns more tangy and energetic with air, picking up a Moroccan spice note that lingers impressively on the smooth, subtly tannic, strikingly persistent finish.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.