Winemaker Notes
Sierra de Prades from 350 to 800 meters above sea level and surrounded by a national preserve. Here vines are challenged by continuous temperature changes, intense UV exposure and poor stony soils. The region has a complex geology where rocky slate gives way to limestone and gravelly clay and where the climate is influenced by the warm interior of Spain and the moderating influence of the Mediterranean. Combined with the diurnal shifts in temperature, CARA NORD can produce wines from grapes that are fully mature, but re-tain a high level of natural acidity and completely ripe tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This 2015 Cara Nord is a red blend of Garnacha, Syrah and the local Garrut, a grape believed to have originated in the Conca de Barberà. The grapes come from a mixture of old and younger vines on complex limestone, lime and slate soils and underwent a cold soak before fermenting at low temperature. The wine matured in French oak barrels of different sizes for five months. It's balsamic with a core of wild red fruit, a hint of incense and smoke, quite spicy and something Rhône-ish through the small percentage of Syrah. This is juicy, medium-bodied with fine tannins combining minerality from different soils, slate, granite and limestone. Easy to drink, accessible and very pleasant. 50,000 bottles produced.
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.