Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It was very interesting to taste the 2020 Sensal next to the 2019. The village red in this almost perfect harvest is a blend of Monastrell, Bonicaire, Arcos and Garnacha from older and younger vines fermented by plot with indigenous yeasts and a significant number of full clusters. The élevage lasted 10 months and was part in concrete, part in 300-liter oak barrels. The grapes achieved full ripeness and have plenty of aromas and flavors, with 13.59% alcohol, more Mediterranean while keeping the balance. This is what Sensal has to be, marked by the Monastrell, with that rustic touch of tree bark, with more color, concentration and power than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It has great depth and intensity, reflecting a superb Mediterranean vintage.
Rating: 93+
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.