ESPAÑA – Page 4

CASA CASTILLO KEEPS ON ROLLING

We went through Jumilla two decades ago when we had an opportunity to visit Spain. The few towns we went through looked like they could have been movie sets for the ‘spaghetti westerns’ of the 70s. The terrain reminds us of the Southern California desert (sans the Joshua trees). Yet from this harsh landscape came some pretty surprising wines, packed with character and weight without being over the top. The ripe, persistent fruit and modest prices made these wines immediately appealing.

Casa Castillo was one of the early stars of the region. This was also a producer whose property looked a lot like the southern Rhône, with gnarly old vines sitting in a chalk soil covered in stones. Like most of the Jumilla producers we tasted then and have come to know since, this bodega (what the Spaniards call their wineries) had a gutsy, well-priced value wine that was impressive for its substance and it only went up from there.

Casa Castillo is still bringing drama even in a more crowded marketplace with substantially more options for the wine buyer. The drawing on the front label could have as easily been inspired by a site in Chateauneuf as here in this still relatively obscure region in southern Spain. While global warming generally represents negative things, the wines from this warm region show that Mourvedre likes the heat. When this late-ripening grape gets fully mature, it can take on a leading role in a ripe forward wine.

The Casa Castillo Las Gravas is something we have been fans of since those early days. The grape varieties here are the same as the southern Rhone but in different proportions with the Mourvedre making up 70% of the blend, with the balance divided equally between Grenache and Syrah. The track record here is pretty remarkable, with this 2015 version garnering a ’94’ from Wine Advocate as it has for 5 of the last six vintages (the 2011 got a mere ’92’)! The generosity of the 2015 vintage shows in this wine’s more rounded nature, though it packs plenty of punch as always.

Luis Gutierrez of Wine Advocate paints a pretty clear picture, ”
The 2015 Las Gravas is a classic Mediterranean blend of Monastrell with 15% each Garnacha and Syrah, with 15% alcohol after fermenting with part of full clusters and indigenous grapes and aging in used oak barrels for 19 months. 2015 is the last vintage that Las Gravas has some Syrah, as it adds some sweet fruit he wants to avoid. However, it shows fresh within the balsamic profile, with plenty of rosemary and thyme notes combined with floral undertones and the character of the esparto grass and tree bark that are textbook (aspects) of the variety.” A lot of wine for the fare as always…

RIGHTEOUS RIOJA

Over the years A LOT of La Rioja Alta juice has passed through these doors. But, for reasons we can’t really put our finger on, not a lot of this particular bottling. Part of that is that it isn’t bottled every year. In this case, this is also the first Vina Arana (2012) to have a Gran Reserva designation, making definitely worth highlighting even as we have an epic version of the Vina Ardanza (2010) on the floor.

As the winery tells it, “A vintage marked by drought, resulting in very heterogeneous grapes. Late September rains had a very positive effect on vine development, resulting in perfect ripening. The grapes arrived in perfect condition with a great balance between alcoholic strength and polyphenols, leading to wines of superb quality, with good polyphenolic structure and magnificent aromatic tipicity, key traits for making aged wines and determinant in our decision to make our first ever Viña Arana Gran Reserva.” In simple terms, this Rioja rocks!

The star of the show is Tempranillo (95%) from 40-year-old vines from Las Cuevas, El Palo and Las Monjas vineyards in Rodezno complemented with 5% Graciano from the Montecillo estate in Fuenmayor. This is everything you could ask from a Rioja in the classic sense. There’s plenty of round, supple-yet-lifted and energetic plum and blackcurrant fruit with flecks of spice, tobacco, damp earth, and dried orange. Impressive from start to finish, harmonious, and textbook Rioja, this is one where the bottle just doesn’t seem quite big enough. Super deliciosa!

James Suckling clearly ‘got it’, commenting, “Brambleberries, licorice, dried blueberries, cedar, tobacco, smoke, vanilla, dried citrus and even a hint of grapefruit. The laser-sharp acidity evinces a real sense of purity, and the tannins are really edgy and structured. Full-bodied but very elegant and stylish. The finish goes on and on, thanks to the shimmering acidity. Beautiful now…95 points.”

Y MAS RIOJA BUENA

Had it been another time, this wine might well have gotten a much bigger presentation. But this seems to be a particularly fortuitous period for the genre as a whole. As those who know us well know, we firmly believe there can never be too much great Rioja. But there are only so many major features we can do in a certain time period, even in one of our favorite categories, lest we change our name to “Rioja Exchange”. Still with back-to-back excellent vintages in 2015 and 2016 hitting the market, plus some late-arriving specialty 2010s, our copa runneth over.

The wines of the Marquis de Murrieta have been a pretty consistent favorite around here because they hit all the key aspects in a couple of categories. We are particular fans of their reserve bottlings for all the right reasons. When they are on (which is most of the time), the style presents plenty of engaging, spicy black fruits like plum and cassis with a rather modern forward nature, but plenty of the supple edges and surprising complexity that makes Rioja what it is.

Knowing that we had been long-time supporters of the brand, the purveyor presented us with the 2014 version of the Marquis de Murrieta Rioja Reserva on three (or was it four?) separate occasions. It was adequate, but just not at the level that we know that it can be. When the 2015 came along we were again back on board. This is a pretty, round, engaging red with supple edges, plenty of character, and the kind of price that allows it to be more than just a ‘special occasion’ bottling.

This Marquis de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2015, granted from a very successful vintage overall, shows the kind of sweet fruit core, spice and toast elements, and front to back harmony that will win more friends for the genre. This is just a lush, versatile and pleasing bottle of Rioja that is exciting in and of itself. But if you are concerned about reviews, it also equaled the highest score given in the series by Wine Advocate (along with the 2010 and, curiously, the 2014), a 93.

The Advocate commentary provides some technical data also aligns with our own thoughts, “The red blend 2015 Rioja Reserva is 80% Tempranillo with 12% Graciano, 6% Mazuelo and 2% Garnacha, a little more Graciano and Mazuelo, something logical in ripe and warm years like 2015. It’s produced with grapes from a diversity of the 30 different plots within the estate, to represent the character of if. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in American oak barrels for 18 months. It’s spicy and somewhat balsamic, with some dusty tannins. It’s a ripe and powerful vintage…”

Good stuff, good price, and once again a ‘go-to’ performer.

2016 MÁQUINA & TABLA PÁRAMOS DE NICASIA BLANCO CASTILLA Y LEON 2016

If ever a wine needed subtitles, this would be it. But there are a lot of fun, esoteric things emerging from the wine world today simply because they are there and someone was convinced enough of the wine to bring it to market. The label is very ‘camp’, the red waxed tip closure visually appealing, and the appellation Castilla y Leon reasonably familiar to fans of Spanish wines as a broad area containing other more delineated regions within it like Ribera del Duero. This particular wine is labeled 2016 Máquina & Tabla Páramos de Nicasia Blanco Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, a rather wordy delineation that essentially means ‘freedom’ because the wines bearing the “vino de la tierra” nomenclature operate outside the strict guidelines of more specific Dos like Ribera and Rueda.

Most of the examples we have seen bearing this banner, probably the most famous of which is Mauro, are red. Though with the dark glass and red cap might give one an impression otherwise, this is pink wine, though one with a personality all its own. The stated goal here is to produce wines with a connection to centuries-old tradition, in this case making a ‘Clarete’. The wine is made by blending the free-run juice of Garnacha, Tempranillo, and Malvasia which here creates a wine that isn’t very pink and has more in common with a white wine from Savennierres or a dry version of a still ‘blanc de noir’. They use the term ‘Clarete’ rather than Rosato because they feel it suggests a wine that is more substantial and serious than your garden variety pink wine.

This juice comes from 8 hectare vineyard located outside Villaester within the D.O. of Toro. Called Pasiego, this site is a mix of 50-60 year old, ungrafted vines of Tinta del País (the local clone of Tempranillo), Garnacha and Malvasía on sandy soil over a clay/limestone subsoil. The color of this wine comes from the natural hue of the free-run juice of the blend, which is roughly equal parts of the three varietals. It has volume, texture, and verve, and can hang with more serious dishes. It sees 8 months in four-year-old barrels.

Luis Gutierrez of Wine Advocate took a walk on the wild side as well, saying of this unique juice “…It has a serious profile, especially on the palate, where it’s somewhere in between a light red and a full-bodied white, with serious chalky tannins and consistency to stand up to food and a few years of aging in bottle. It’s tasty and supple, serious and not banal…91 points.” Definitely not banal, this is also the type of distinctive effort that the broad marketplace doesn’t even know exists. It’s definitely something that has a place on the table and makes a great foil for a surprising array of dishes. A must try.

A CUBILLO FOR THE AGES

What a difference a year makes! As the majority of you who read us regularly are aware, there are likely no greater fans of Rioja, with the possible exception of some of the Riojanos themselves, than we are. One of the rewards of doing this kind of thing, for us, is to get paid for doing something we would do anyway. Today’s exercise gives us the opportunity to talk about a few of our favorite things, specifically one of the revered houses located in Rioja’s ‘holy city’ (Haro), Lopez de Heredia, and one of the greatest vintages we have had the good fortune to experience from the region, 2010.

As to Lopez de Heredia, there is little we need to say about this icon of traditional Spanish winemaking founded in 1892. We have tasted virtually every level of wine they produce, including some historic older bottlings, and have never been disappointed even given pretty high expectations. They do all the right things to create the wines they want to make and charge very attractive prices for the various levels offered. Granted prices have edged up a bit as the world continues to discover the wonders of Rioja, but they are still pretty sensational given the other choices of equal caliber.

As to 2010, it has been a while since we have talked about the vintage. It is a sensational harvest with purity of fruit, ripe tannins, classic lines and fine structure. They are wines that will age decades yet can deliver a glassful of joy next weekend. The Riojanos have definitely been surprisingly low-keyed about the exceptional year, but the rest of the wine world has been unanimous in its praise.

Simply put, releases in Rioja come sort of in waves. For the most part crianzas come out first, followed by reservas and finally gran reservas, all titles very specifically defined by Spanish law based on barrel age and time in bottle. Each winery has their own schedule as to how the wines roll out, though they mostly follow the same level by level pattern we described. Most of the 2010 crianzas and reservas are long gone and we have even moved through a number of the gran reservas. But the top older houses run on a much slower cycle. So we will be seeing a number of the ‘big dogs’ from this great vintage coming out over the next several months. Hallelujah!

As for Lopez de Heredia, they are just beginning on their efforts in 2010 starting with the Lopez de Heredia Rioja Vina Cubillo Crianza 2010, their entry-level bottling. This is where we must make the point again, one of the best houses in one of the best vintages. We have faithfully followed Lopez for years and enjoyed virtually every vintage of Cubillo along the way. This is the best version we have ever tasted by a good bit. Made from 65% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, and the rest Mazuelo and Graciano all from estate vineyards, this saw three years in barrel (like a gran reserva) after which it is bottled unfiltered.

Sure it has all of the accustomed sweet cherry and plum fruit, dusty/spicy classic Rioja accents and underpinning of vanilla and balsamic. But there is more weight, power and richness in the midpalate, impeccable balance between the fruit and tannins and a remarkable but refined presence in the glass. Over the course of several hours it evolved glacially, so packed and structured, yet it never ceased to impress. We dare say it is better than some of their Tondonia and Bosconia bottlings we have had in the past, yet this surprising beverage can be had for under $25. Amazing? You bet!

But that’s Rioja, that’s Lopez, and the greatness of 2010.

We were not alone in our praise. Luis Gutierrez of robertparker.com wrote, “The 2010 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza is superb and shows great depth and nuance, with great freshness, and the red cherries are complemented by notes of blood oranges, nutmeg and other spices. It has a soft and harmonious palate, with great balance and very good freshness. – 93 Points!”

Given James Suckling’s usual brevity of comments, this is a virtual tome, “Cubillo is a very focused and quite crisp style of red that has spent three years in barrique and then in larger cask to wait for bottling, which happens two years before the expected release. The richness and depth of complex dried wood and spice here is seamlessly sewn into the dried red and dark cherries. The palate is pinned around a fresh-blackberry core that marries still sweet fruit to more savory style. Long and balanced. The tannins are fine yet assertive. It freshens into the finish nicely. Drink or hold…95 Points!”

Great house, great vintage, great price, this one checks all the boxes! This is not to be missed.

A ‘GIFT’ FOR YOU

Nobody brings the value drama like the Spaniards, and that goes for every conceivable price level. Izadi was founded in 1987 when the estate was purchased by the Anton family, who then hired Mariano Garcia (formerly Vega Sicilia, now Mauro and Aalto) as a consultant. This bottling is from what is considered by the Anton family to be their premier site, El Regalo, a single vineyard of Tempranillo planted in 1940 on a terroir of chalky limestone clay covered with pebbles near the village of Villabuena de Álava.

‘El Regalo’ means ‘the gift’ in Spanish, and the family clearly considers this bottling a gift of Nature from this unique plot. Hand harvested grapes from 70+ year old vines that are ‘practicing organically’ farmed certainly have the potential to make exciting wine. The press (94 Decanter, 91 James Suckling, 91 Wine Advocate) seems to confirm that happened here. Firmly committed to straddling the stylistic spectrum between traditional and modern, the wine makes no reference to the typical crianza, reserve, etc. hierarchy. It is merely “el Regalo”. The wine sees 20 months in new French oak, more of a nod to the modern side.

The Wine Advocate shows the Izadi Rioja El Regalo 2014 at a $30 retail. But with the current wholesale scenario of a staggering number of brands being offered through a small number of purveyors, there’s a limit to how much the ‘team on the street’ can sell in a given time period, or how committed they are to going beyond just selling the ‘easy ones’. In such an environment, even some really good juice gets lost in the shuffle and the only way to create interest at that point is a hot price, like almost 50% off. At $16.98, this wine becomes even more of a ‘regalo’ (gift). While it lasts.

LAUREL PRIORAT SHINES AGAIN

Sometimes it is interesting to go back to the beginning. In 1988 Daphne Glorian, at the time employed by an English Master of Wine in his Paris office, decided to spend her life’s savings on 17 terraces of hillside vines just outside the village of Gratallops. Newly minted friends René Barbier and Alvaro Palacios encouraged her and together with Carles Pastrana and Jose Luis Perez, they pooled their talents and resources to make a new style of wine in a region rich in history but that had only really produced sturdy wine for the local markets. In 1989 the modern Priorat was born.

Fast forward to today, and Clos Erasmus is considered one of the elite producers of the Priorat. Their body of work is impressive and includes 98 (twice), 99 (three times) and 100 (twice) point efforts as reviewed by Robert Parker. The problem with Clos Erasmus through the years has definitely not been quality, but quantity. There has been precious little to go around. Old vine Grenache, Carignane and a little Cabernet fruit make magic in Priorat in the right hands, and Daphne, along with her current super-star winemaker, the diminutive, dreadlocked Ester Nin are at the top of their game.

These rustic hillsides produce wines of great power and character, yet in Ester’s hands also retain a surprising elegance. Bordeaux had something like a three century head start on these folks and one has to appreciate how far Priorat has come in a mere three decades. Like Bordeaux, particularly things like Chateau Margaux’s Pavillion Rouge or Lafite’s Carruades, Laurel is a ‘second’ wine comprised of the younger vines on the property, plus some declassified Clos Erasmus. It is also another poster child for our mantra of buying little wines from the very best producers because they have better fruit, more talent, greater commitment and higher standards. As with the first growth sourced examples we cited earlier, It is a ‘second’ wine only relative to its exalted sibling.

Bottled unfiltered and unfined, the wine has a little bit of a wild side which gives it an exotic element, but it is absolutely packed with character and screams of its class and breeding. We have followed Erasmus since the 90s and have tasted most of the offerings of Laurel along the way. It seems like they are working at a higher level these days, which is saying a lot. The 2016 Clos I Terrases Priorat Laurel is once again a sensational effort and arguably worthy of ‘best yet’ considerations. Laurel has always been impressive but it seems Ester is refining her touch. The vintage didn’t hurt either.

The Laurel 2016 shows fruit flavors of currant and black cherry, plus notes of coffee, cocoa and that insistent minerality from the llicorella (yic-o-raya) black slate soils makes Priorat a very special place for grapes. It is aromatic, inviting, layered and remarkably engaging. It delivers plenty even if you aren’t feeling cerebral and just want to relate to it on a purely hedonistic level. If you need some numbers, this second wine received 93 points or better in every vintage since 2004 save one (2010, curiously enough the only vintage reviewed by Neal Martin during a very short stint as Advocate’s Spanish reviewer). All the numbers aren’t in yet, but Jeb Dunnuck opened the topic with a 95 point review.

Dunnuck’s narrative makes the point, “The 2016 Laurel is sensational stuff and, in truth, matches several older vintages of the grand vin (Clos Erasmus) in quality. A blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 16 months in a mix of oak, concrete, and amphora, this deep purple-colored beauty offers up a fresh, vibrant bouquet of blueberries, crisp plums, violets, and spring flowers. Possessing full-bodied richness, beautiful depth of fruit and richness, and a fresh, elegant style, it’s a brilliant wine that’s going to evolve gracefully for 10-15 years.”

Is there such a thing as a ‘blue chip’ second wine? We think so.

STILL UNDER THE RADAR SPANISH GEMS

This particular traditional Rioja house has been a part of our set for at least fifteen years as well as being one of the prime grabbers for home ‘research’. You may not have heard of it under its formal name Ramon de Ayala Lete e Hijos Vina Santurnia Rioja. You quite possibly haven’t heard of it at all. We simply call it Vina Santurina. We have consistently carried one or more of the Crianza, Reserva, and Grand Reserva bottlings for a long time.

You likely haven’t read about it either unless you are one of those rare folks that reads archived wine review magazines. We have not been able to find anything more recently than 3 years ago in the Wine Spectator and, mind you, these weren’t the 100-pointers, usually grabbing high 80s to low 90s scores from the critics when they were mentioned at all. At this point you might be wondering why we are talking about them.

The simple story is that, while these are not the wine version of ‘super models’, they are character-filled, honest, classically rendered wines that deliver every time at prices that are pretty easy to swallow. Familiar notes of plum, cranberry, spice, leather, and vanilla play at every level. While they have that engaging Rioja muskiness and dusty note to the finish, they tend to be riper, more substantial, and fuller-bodied than your garden variety Rioja.

These folks are traditional to the core, as in organic farming (unless some seriously bad weather dictates otherwise) and even some foot-trodding in the cellar. The wines exude great authenticity will still delivering an ample blast of fruit. The Viña Santurnia Rioja Crianza 2016is a plumper-than-normal version of this wine. It is their best crianza we can recall. We usually play the reserva and gran reserva bottlings but this plays at that level qualitatively this time around. Plenty of dark cherry and red plum with notes of spice, coffee, sweet earth and vanilla. Made from 100% Tempranillo from vines planted between 1986 and 1998, sourced from both Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa, it is a lot of wine for the dinero and accessible now though there is no hurry.

Given the producer and vintage, the performance of the crianza wasn’t as big a surprise as this one. While 2008 isn’t necessarily considered an epic vintage, we have had a lot of very successful wines. But few have shown the plushness, roundness and flesh of this one. The Viña Santurnia Rioja Gran Reserva 2008 from a character standpoint is the reasonable upgrade from the delicious crianza, though more refined, resolved, better balanced, and classier. It is one of the better 2008s we can recall, and as you know we deal with a lot of bodegas. It’s the classic Spanish bargain of a high quality red with bottle age for under $30. This one is a blend of Tempranillo 90%, Mazuelo 5% and Graciano 5% that sees the traditional 24 months in a mixture of French and American oak.

We have been selling these wines for a long time as we said. But more importantly they are regular visitors to our own table as we appreciate quality and value as much as anyone. The wine media doesn’t tell you everything and some labels get overlooked simply because they don’t come from from some high profile, big budget importer. However these deliver where it counts, in your glass.

SOLANERA’S BEST YET, AND UNDER $10

We never stop looking out for the rare, amazing deal. These can come at any time, from anywhere, and we have turned more than our share of these kinds of opportunities over the years. But, frankly, given what is currently available in the marketplace, something has to be pretty spectacular to get our attention. This one is.

Yes we know we have gone to the well with Solanera number of times in the past, but the darn wine just keeps delivering, consistently improving and presenting one of the best bang-for-the-buck options out there.

It all starts with Eric Solomon, a consistent source for some of the best wine deals on the planet and his massive portfolio of wines. Simply put, when you are trying to market some 300+ wines in the marketplace, and transitioning through various configurations of purveyors to accommodate distribution of so many brands, there are times a wine or two can get lost in the shuffle.

It’s nobody’s fault, but opportunities get created all the same and, when the wine is already a pretty sensational value with a long proven track record, an aggressive deal can make the offer almost laughable. We have told this story more than once with Solanera, and here we go again with the latest and greatest, the Castano Solanera Vinas Viejas 2015.

Over the years a lot of Solanera has passed through our doors. Why wouldn’t it? You’ve got Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha from 40-100 year-old vines in clay/limestone soils at nearly 3000 feet elevation. It’s ‘always sunny’ in Yecla, and the altitude keeps everything in perspective as the nights cool to preserve sufficient freshness in the wine. You get a rich, substantial, character-filled red year in and year out and, because the real estate isn’t as famous here in southeastern Spain, you don’t pay a lot of money for the quality of juice you are getting.

Hey, it might seem like unfair competition, but it’s just the way it is. It is no wonder that we have sold so much Solanera in our history, and why all thirteen vintages of the stuff that were reviewed in Wine Advocate have scored 90 points or better. Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez was pretty high on this one again, handing it a 92 point score with lengthy comments, “The 2015 Solanera used to wear the ultimate Spanglish label, which said “Viñas Viejas of Monastrell” even if it was always a blend (in this vintage, the blend includes 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Garnacha Tintorera)…

“… they used part of full clusters and sourced the grapes from Casa Marta, a nine-hectare, head-pruned, dry-farmed plot on very stony soils in the north of Yecla at the foot of the Mount Arabí. It fermented in concrete vats and open-top barrels and matured in barrique, each variety separately, for some ten months, after which it was blended and bottled. This is the vintage of the big change in this wine, where, as with the majority of its siblings, there is better balance and more integrated oak, more freshness and better balance.

“The nose is quite captivating, especially after some time in the glass, when it starts developing some floral aromas, perfect ripeness, no warmth or alcohol and a powerful, yet terribly balanced palate with concentration and elegance, fine-grained tannins and clean, focused flavors. This is my favorite Solanera to date.”

Like we said, ours, too. This is a more refined effort that definitely plays above its category in the glass even more than past efforts. This jump in quality may have had something to do with the vintage and most assuredly reflects the touch of Jean-Marc Lafage who consulted on this vintage for the first time. It’s a kinder, gentler, more polished and more engaging bottle of Solanera and for under $10 (the best price in the country), it’s almost like stealing. Good hunting.

A ‘POTENTE’ DEAL FROM PRIORAT’S NEIGHBOR

One of our greatest beefs about most of the ‘value’ wines out on the marketplace these days, besides the obvious inconsistencies and marginal quality, is the absence of ‘soul’. By the time all of the blending of appellations, wood staving, dilution because of high production in the vineyards, and using additives and/or residual sugar to cover that up is done, what you have can be legally called wine. But it is usually an amorphous glob of fruit with little personality or grace.

If you have wondered why we often go far off the beaten path to find exciting wines to drink, it is because such places are typically unfettered by the influences of ‘control groups’ and ‘market surveys’. They make what the land gives them and, if they have the skills, offer up some of the more compelling and character-filled beverages out there. Apparently, Eva Lopez is of the same mind. She founded a company called Cuvee that is working in Spain to find “… vines, trustworthy wineries and wines that respect terroir, fruit, traditional winemaking and of course exceptional value.” While that slogan sounds like a lot of things you might hear out in the marketplace, the results we have seen are clearly are out of the ordinary.

For this surprisingly pure, authoritative mouthful, she hooked up with a locally owned, accomplished cooperative located south of Priorat called Celler de Capcanes. We have sold wines from Capçanes before, perhaps the most recognizable being Mas Donis (from nearby Tarragona) and Costers de Gravet (from Monsant). They know their business in an area that has been producing wines since the Middle Ages but whose most recognizable appellation, Priorat, was only designated in 1989.

Montsant’s official history is even shorter having achieved its designation only in 2001. Priorat is best known for powerful wines grown in rugged, high altitude, naturally low-yielding vineyards covered with a black shale called llicorella (yi-kor-ra ya). Montsant, carved from the broader Tarragona appellation, shares many of those characteristics…the naturally low yields, higher altitude (even a little higher than Priorat), and that unique llicorella terroir. In general, they differ from Priorat by not being as unyielding in their youth and considerably less expensive, both extreme positives.

The Cellar Capçanes Montsant Potente 2016 (potente literally means powerful/potent in Spanish) comes from a unique spot of vines up to 50 years old in Capçanes’ highest vineyards. The blend is of classic regional varietals Garnacha and Carignan (called Samso around these parts), along with Cabernet and Merlot. The grapes are hand harvested, destemmed, and macerated in cement tanks then aged nine months in oak (from new to 5-yr-old barrels).

The resulting wine is quite ‘potente’, particularly for the price. To say that even this jaded Spanish wine-pioneering crowd was blown away would be an understatement. This is not just another face in the crowd. Pure, expressive notes of wild red and black berries that taste like fruit not candy, competing notes of spice and savory, and an underpinning described as ‘crushed rock’ which alludes to the influence of that local slate all buttress this uplifting juice with plenty of stuffing and an abundance of soul.

We are not alone in our enthusiasm for this character-filled beverage. Josh Raynolds of Vinous Media writes, “Bright violet color. Spice-accented red/blue fruits on the nose, along with a suave floral overtone. Lively and incisive on the palate, offering mineral-inflected boysenberry and raspberry flavors that show a Pinot-like light touch. Silky tannins add subtle grip to the finish, which leaves a zesty red berry note behind…90 points.”

From James Suckling, “Very attractive nose of black cherries, sage and chocolate. Ripe and generous with nice, warm tannins that fill out the full body very nicely. Long and very harmonious finish. Drink or hold…93 points”

Given that this wine comes in through the most aggressive importer we work with, and a finger or two in the markup pie are skipped, means we can offer this tasty, versatile Montsant for a song at $9.98. Montsant is still kind of under the radar, though we have been fans of the region for a long time. You will likely never have a better opportunity to find out why.