Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Triga, which reached 15.5% alcohol because in their zone 2012 has been drier and warmer than 2011, is a blend of head-pruned Monastrell with some Cabernet Sauvignon from chalk-rich soils fermented in open stainless-steel vats and aged in barrique for 20 months. You can feel the warmth and ripeness of the year in the aromas of prunes, blackberries, thyme and rosemary accented with plenty of sweet spices and smoky notes from the barrel that might need a little bit more time in bottle. The palate is full-bodied, with powerful tannins lifted by the alcohol on a warm finish. I'd wait a little bit for the bottle to render the puppy fat and allow the oak to better integrate. Drink the 2011 before this wine as it should age well. They produced a little bit more in 2012. 17,400 bottles.
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Wine Enthusiast
Roasted meat and spicy black-fruit scents are deep, lusty and patented for Volver, the winery that produces Triga. Chewy and thick on the palate, this blend of 85% Monastrell and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon tastes baked and peppery, with herbal notes blending into core black-fruit flavors. Tobacco, chocolate and herbal flavors ride high on a full, extracted finish. Drink through 2019.
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Wine Spectator
This focused red offers a plush texture, with a firm backbone. Black cherry, spice, mineral and leafy flavors mingle harmoniously, with a good balance of well-integrated tannins and acidity. Toast and floral notes linger on the finish. Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2022.
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.