Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with rich fare such as beef shortribs, marinated pork shoulder, or a vegetable stirfry tossed with soy sauce.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Only in its second vintage, the single vineyard 2011 Las Quebradas is pure Monastrell from a chalk-rich, stony vineyard with very poor soils planted with 1,500 vines per hectare that are dry farmed and head pruned. The grapes were fermented in small lots in square vats with indigenous yeasts and a gentle hand treading. The wine matured for 15 months in French oak barrel and it shows more finesse and poise than the Estrecho, though still marked by the élevage with aromas of toasted sesame seeds and smoke with the tree bark-like aromas taking a surprising herbal tone (fennel, aniseed?) in a way that made me think of a left bank Bordeaux. This feels quite different from the initial 2010 that was all finesse and elegance. In this vintage it is getting closer to Estrecho, though perhaps a little more subtle, combining power with rusticity and elegance. In any case, this is a great expression of Monastrell. It will surely grow in bottle, as it also grows in the glass.
-
James Suckling
Aromas of dried flowers, cherries and berries. Perfumed. Full body, fine tannins and a long, citrusy finish. Lively and focused. 100% monastrell.
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.