Winemaker Notes
On an intense and deep red, it showcases a complex bouquet, with ripe fruit notes (blackberries, red plums) and elegant spices. Silky and delicate palate, as well as fleshy and opulent, but with a very present fruitiness. Lengthy and balanced.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Also 100% Monastrell but a selection of old, head-trained vines, the 2016 Mira Salinas was brought up in a mix of new, once-, and twice-used barrels. Its deep ruby/plum color is followed by a Bandol-like bouquet of smoked black fruits, earth, meat, and spice. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful fruit, good acidity, and plenty of tannins, and it's a classic, balanced Monastrell that more than over-delivers at the price. These are custom cuvées for Jorge Ordonez that are only brought into the US.
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James Suckling
Fruity and straightforward with plum and cherry flavors. Medium body. Soft tannins and a fruity finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
They removed the Garnacha Tintorera, so the 2016 Mira Salinas is now pure Monastrell, with a little less ripeness and alcohol than the 2015 I tasted next to it. It matured in 225-liter French oak barrels, 20% of them new. I see a big jump from the 2015 here; this is a lot fresher and the oak feels a lot more integrated. It's approachable and juicy, with fine tannins and a more vibrant palate with livelier flavors and more finesse. It seems like a change in style toward more elegance and drinkability. Rating: 90+
Full of ripe fruit, and robust, earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance, where it still goes by the name Monastrell or Mataro. It is better associated however, with the Red Blends of the Rhône, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvèdre shines on its own in Bandol and is popular both as a single varietal wine in blends in the New World regions of Australia, California and Washington. Somm Secret—While Mourvèdre has been in California for many years, it didn’t gain momentum until the 1980s when a group of California winemakers inspired by the wines of the Rhône Valley finally began to renew a focus on it.
Alicante is a port city in southeastern Costa Blanca and municipality in the Valencian Community of Spain. The eponymous DO is a non-contiguous appellation, divided between east and west. Along the eastern coast you find La Marina, a subzone known for its perfumed sweet white wines made from Moscatel de Alejandría; other white grape varieties include Merseguera and Malvasía. The drier, more extreme climate to the west is home to Monastrell, which accounts for 75% of total DO vineyard plantings. Other major red grape varieties include Garnacha Tintorera and Bobal, a thick-skinned black variety native to the Levante (the eastern edge of the Iberian Peninsula). Bobal had been destined for bulk wine production during much of its modern history but a new generation of winemakers today are taking advantage of the wide availability of old vine material, to produce full-bodied, concentrated wines, which are increasingly complex. In the last ten years, Alicante DO has gained popularity and respect for its new light, fresh wines and interesting varietal reds produced by pioneering bodegas.
Alongside the other wines emerging here, Alicante’s classic dessert wine, Fondillon, has been exported for centuries and is enjoying its own renaissance.