Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Earthy, deep and meaty, with rubber and heft to the nose, but also a ton of black fruit. Texturally, it’s like velvet; and the palate is super ripe and lengthy, with flavors of blackberry, mocha, coffee and fine oak. A Syrah-led, full-bodied beauty that’s subtle and not overpowering. Drinkable now but best in about 3-5 years.
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Wine Spectator
Shows a pure beam of briary blackberry, black cherry and spice flavors, accented by hints of vanilla and dried herbs. The supple tannins frame the wine, while juicy acidity enlivens it. There's good concentration, in a more elegant package. Drink now through 2014.
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.