PRIORAT NATUR
(Priorat,Spain)
Priorat Natur was founded in 1997, by Xavier Buil, his wife Anna Cuadrat, and their partner, under the philosophy of making handcrafted local Priorat products, and selling them around the world. According to ancient writings, Vermouth was invented by Hippocrates, a famous physician of antiquity, born in 460 BC. He macerated flowers and leaves of wormwood dictamo in wine, obtaining, what in the middle ages was called “Hippocratic wine”, or simply “herbal wine.” The grapes used for this Vermouth come from two different farmers, with a total of 2.8 acres of vineyards, and are grown practicing organic methods. Vermouth has been the aperitif par excellence in the Priorat region for nearly 100 years. The initial white wine is made from Macabeo, Pedro Ximénez, and White Garnacha, and is vinified by being in contact with the grape skins, giving it more aroma, and a pale golden color. A small amount of sugar is added giving it the desired sweetness and it is macerated with aromatic herbs: fennel, rosemary, cumin, cinnamon, and vanilla. The wine is then aged a minimum of two years in old oak barrels, where it obtains the desired aromas, and its characteristic amber coloring. After one year, a small amount of the young white wine is added to the barrel of “old” Vermouth, where it rests for another year before being bottled. Bottling is done in small quantities at a time. This ensures that the minimum age of the Vermouth is two years.
THE APERITIF WINE VERMUT • Grapes: White Garnacha, Pedro Ximénez, and Macabeo macerated with aromatic herbs: fennel, rosemary, cumin, cinnamon, and vanilla. • Production: 700 cases per year. • Taste: In addition to the herbal infusion, on the second level, aromas appear of aged wood, the earth just after a rain, truffle, and honey. The original blend provokes surprising sensations to the senses. On the palate, it is balanced, with just enough sweetness, to compliment the accompanying characteristic bitter citrus. • Color: Amber color, with mahogany reflections, clean. • Alcohol content: 16%. • Serve with: Anything slightly salty or savory, great with appetizers! The traditional tapas from this region are olives and salty nuts. Serve in small pours with 2 ice cubes, cold, or mix it, and make your own cocktail! CRITICS & REVIEWS: -Wine Enthusiast, March ‘18 gave 96 points to Priorat Natur NV Vermut. “Ruddy orange in hue, this Catalonia vermouth offers earthy aromas. The deep, intriguing palate has plenty of bittersweet interplay, flitting between hints of melon, white floral freshness, orange peel, and almond bitterness, accented with rosemary, and vanilla. Complex and delicious.” -International Wine Report, October ’17 gave 90 points to Priorat Natur NV Vermut. “A blend of Garnatxa Blanca, Macabeu, and Pedro Ximenez, the intense aromas entice showcasing burnt cedar, peat moss, vanilla oil, and blood orange zest. Moderately sweet and weighing in at 16% alcohol there are ripe orange blossom, Pazzaz apple pie, lemongrass, and apricot oil flavors, that sit alongside some nice tension.”
BODEGAS HNOS. PÉREZ PASCUAS (D.O. Ribera del Duero, Spain)
Bodegas Hnos. Pérez Pascuas is an example of a well-consolidated cellar, family owned for 3 generations, distinguishing itself by maintaining an irreproachable personality in its wines year after year.
THE WINERY This wine cellar, a pioneer in Ribera del Duero, released their first vintage in 1980, when three brothers: Benjamín, Manuel, and Adolfo Pérez Pascuas, convinced of the excellent potential that lay in the vineyards owned by their father, decided to undertake an ambitious project: “to make one of the best wines in Spain…” This is a family cellar, which has focused on quality from its inception, with hard work at the vineyard, and intense dedication. Currently, 500,000 bottles are produced yearly, and this limited production allows for strict controls over the winemaking process from start to finish. All grapes come from their own 333 acres of vineyards: 90% Tinta fino (Tempranillo). A great number of the vines are over twenty-five years old and grow on privileged soils. The vineyards are located in Pedrosa de Duero in the D.O. Ribera del Duero. The terrain is smooth and the soils are clay-calcareous. The vineyards are located at an altitude of 2,624 feet above sea level.
THE WINES PÉREZ PASCUAS GRAN SELECCIÓN GRAN RESERVA 2011 (red) This wine is the result of choice grapes from vines averaging 70 years old. Mauro Pérez was born surrounded by the vines of Pedrosa de Duero. A wise man with a deep love of his land, he tilled the vineyards, and planted vines that today are the source of this unique wine. The wise, old, crooked vines, in the Valtarreña Estate, are filled with many virtues acquired throughout their long life, producing grapes of exceptional quality. "The family's wine" offers supreme quality at its highest exponent. Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 70 year old vines. Aging: 26 months in barrels (French and American oak) minimum of at least 4 years bottle aging before release. • Taste: Lively, with marked nerve, and very fine tannins. Beautiful structure, powerful, and very well balanced. Noticeable persistence. Complex aroma, blending primary notes of red currants, and licorice, with numerous spicy, and mineral hints. A very wide wine and voluptuous. • Color: Intense red, with dark cherry hues, and a pomegranate rim, evident of a very slow, positive development. Beautiful, very intense. CRITICS AND REVIEWS -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 96 points to 2012 Pérez Pascuas Gran Selección, Gran Reserva. “… a monumental, classical Ribera del Duero, still young and lively, a little closed on the nose, but showing magnificent harmony on the palate, with super refined tannins. It's gobsmacking. It's pure Tinto Fino from an 83year-old vineyard...” -eRobertParker.com, Oct ’15 gave 96 points to 2010 Pérez Pascuas Gran Selección, Gran Reserva. “… matured in oak barrels for 26 months, yet the nose is not excessively oaky, and is very spicy with nice fruit integration; it’s still showing very young, and only starting to develop hints of tertiary, more complex aromas. The palate is silky with very refined tannins, great balance, and length.” • •
VIÑA PEDROSA GRAN RESERVA 2011 (red) Grapes: 90% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Very limited production from privileged vineyard. • Aging: 24 months in barrels (French and American oak), minimum 36 months in bottle before release, excellent longevity (12 - 15 years). • Taste: Wide, ripe tannins, opulent, mouth-filling, good structure. Elegant tones of aging in wood are manifested with spicy hints present. Very complex to the nose. Elegant aging bouquet. Its extreme complexity, and solid, powerful structure, provide the elegance, and potential to continue growing in the bottle. • Color: Clean, significantly deep, dark cherry red with hints of carmine and light tawny hues, having a lively, youthful glow. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 94 points to 2012 Viña Pedrosa Gran Reserva. “… example of how great viticulture can achieve balanced grapes and therefore wines, which is the way, and their way. Surprisingly enough, they used some 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in this bottling, which aged in barrique for 24 months and achieved a "moderate" 14% alcohol. It has great intensity and length...” - Wine & Spirits “Focus: Ribera Del Duero”, June ’18 gave 95 points to 2011 Viña Pedrosa Gran Reserva. “This Gran Reserva defines Pérez Pascuas style. It’s an elegant Ribera del Duero, it’s red cherry flavors melding with firm tannins, and an acidity that emphasizes the overall freshness of the wine, supporting the verticality in its structure. Deliciously herbal, with soft touches of cinnamon…” •
VIÑA PEDROSA RESERVA 2012/14 (red) Grapes: 90% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, average vine age 35 years old. Wine made from the best vintages, hand picked grapes from the estate’s select plots. Will develop beautifully over the next 10 - 12 years. • Aging: 24 months in barrel (French and American oak), minimum 18 months in bottle before release. • Taste: Spices, smoke, licorice, and light hints of truffles. Noble tannins with concentrated, very intense flavors, resulting from grapes picked at their optimum ripeness. In the mouth it’s powerful, robust, and wide, very serious, with great character. Tasty, with good acidity, and tannin, promising long life. Very persistent with a long, agreeable, slightly bitter finish. • Color: Intense ruby red with purple hues and blue reflections. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 93 points to 2015 Viña Pedrosa Reserva. “… the toasted and smoky tones from the barrels are a little more marked, but the palate shows the balance, and restraint that made them famous. The tannins are fine-grained and there is great balance, with that elegant rusticity common throughout their portfolio…” -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 94 points to 2014 Viña Pedrosa Reserva. “… Viña Pedrosa Reserva. 2014 was an almost perfect, classical year, with good ripeness… shows more aromatic complexity and nuance. It has an intoxicating combination of spice, earth, fruit, herbs, and ink, and a seamless palate, with refined tannins, and great balance.” -Wine & Spirits “Focus: Ribera Del Duero”, June ’18 gave 94 points to 2014 Viña Pedrosa Reserva. “With its depth of ripe fruit, this wine’s youth is revealed in smoky notes of oak (it rested two years in barrels). Behind the smokiness, there are hints of Mediterranean spice, sweet and fragrant, intertwined in a mesh of fine tannins…” •
VIÑA PEDROSA RESERVA “LA NAVILLA” 2012/14 (red) Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) coming from the single vineyard, La Navilla, with chalky clay soil, and an altitude of 2,700 feet above sea level, their highest vineyard. The average age of the vines is 30 years old. An exceptional terroir, where the authentic clone of Tinto Fino, grafted from the old vineyards of the Pérez Pascuas brothers, reaches its maximum extent, and singularity. • Aging: 20 months in French oak barrels, minimum of 12 months in bottle. • Taste: Good structure, dense, concentrated, with noble tannins of great quality, round, and without any sharp points. Very complex aromas, fruit, smoke, spicy notes, a great balance between fruit and oak. Its toasted aromas, and minerality, give it a very original sensation, with a good intensity, and elegance. • Color: Cherry red, very vivid, intense, and bright. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 94 points to 2015 Viña Pedrosa “La Navilla” Reserva. “… ferments with indigenous yeasts, and this one matured for some 20 months in oak. This is clean, open and perfumed, refined and expressive, with great balance and freshness...” -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, “the Independent Consumer’s Bimonthly Guide to Fine Wine” gave 94 points to 2014 Viña Pedrosa “La Navilla” Reserva. “This is extremely perfumed, a little more modern if you like, with perfect integration of the oak with the wine, the nose is tremendously harmonious… this wine when I first put my nose in the glass, it continued opening up, and developing. It has the very fine tannins, that are part of the house style…” -The Wine Advocate, Mar '17 gave 93 points to 2012 Viña Pedrosa "La Navilla" Reserva. “… sourced from the vineyard that surround the winery, in the village of Pedrosa de Duero, planted some 40 years ago on sand-rich soils… This 2012 is truly impressive, among the freshest from the vintage.” •
VIÑA PEDROSA CRIANZA 2014/15 • • •
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Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) Aging: 18 months in barrels (French and American oak), minimum 12 months in bottle before release. Estimated aging potential: 8 - 12 years. Taste: Meaty, sumptuous, and full of character, with abundant fruit, glycerin, tannins, and toasted oak. In the mouth it’s very wide, powerful, voluminous, smooth, but with perfectly integrated tannins; showing great character, round, and very long. It has an elegant bitter touch on the finish, very persistent both in taste, and aroma. Color: Intense cherry red with a violet rim, deep.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 92+ points to 2016 Viña Pedrosa Crianza. “… shows the perfect vintage, like when they harvested perfect grapes in the harvest dates of yesteryear. This has a classical profile, with spice, and smoke from the barrel nicely integrated with the fruit, with no excess. A Crianza like the ones that made the appellation famous. Elegant, balanced, and powerful, but harmonious...” -International Wine Report, April ’18 gave 90 points to 2015 Viña Pedrosa Crianza. “An outstanding Crianza, this bright colored wine opens with ripe and plump red fruit aromatics, that fill the glass with a kiss of toasty oak. Lithe and on the lighter side, this shows good freshness with dark cherry, and cigar ash flavors that linger…” -The Wine Advocate, March ’17 gave 92 points to 2014 Viña Pedrosa Crianza. "This has an elegant texture with very fine tannins and very good freshness. This is as classical as it gets in Ribera del Duero, and very representative of the house style, with very clean oak, and balance, to develop for a very long time. A benchmark for Crianza wines from Ribera del Duero."
El PEDROSAL RESERVA 2005 (red) • • •
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Grapes: 90% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging: 24 months in barrels (French and American oak), 10 years in the bottle before release. Taste: Intense and complex, on the nose, where we can still find red fruit aromas, balsamic notes, nuts, a slight toasted background, very clean, and intense. In the mouth it’s alive, well balanced, and fine. Elegant and complex, showing its optimum evolution in the bottle. It’s now in a great moment for consumption, but will develop positively for the next 8-10 years. A fresh, Atlantic wine, that still shows youth. Color: Cherry red with ruby hints. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 95+ points to 2005 El Pedrosal Reserva. “One of the big surprises of my round in Ribera del Duero… It expresses the varietal, place and year, with a developed nose full of notes of tea leaves, fine leather, earth, and brick dust. The label somewhat makes me think of those from López de Heredia in Rioja and, to a point, the wine too. It's polished and sleek, elegant in that rustic style Ribera del Duero is capable of. It has moderate alcohol and very good acidity. This is a classical red that could probably age for 25 years. It's a different style from the rest of the Pérez Pascuas portfolio, a wine crafted specially for their US importer, and in principle, it's only going to be sold in the US. A great vin de garde. One to chase!“
El PEDROSAL CRIANZA 2015 (red) Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) Aging: 12 months in barrels (French and American oak) and at least 12 months bottle aged. • Taste: On the palate it’s powerful, fruity, with noble tannins that give a great concentration, and opulence. Vivid, with sensations of fruit, menthol, cocoa, toasted coffee, and minerals. Clearly distinguishable aromas of fresh fruit, underscored by notes of cedar, and licorice, with a most elegant mineral touch. Powerful and enveloping in the mouth, with a very long finish. Great intensity on the nose, ripe fruit, balsamic, spicy aromas, with a wonderful mineral backbone. • Color: An exuberant wine with a deep, ruby-red color. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robert Parker Wine Advocate, August ’18 gave 91+ points to 2016 El Pedrosal. “…fresh and long-lived…This wine has the balance between ripeness and freshness, power and elegance, with a spicy touch from the oak that is not intrusive. Great freshness, one of the best vintages for this entry-level red from the Pérez Pascuas family.” - Wine & Spirits “Focus: Ribera Del Duero”, June ’18 gave 90 points to 2015 El Pedrosal. “In spite of the ripeness of the fruit, and its sweet spice, this wine is driven by tense tannins, with a perfect balance of acidity. You could cellar this several years, though it’s drinking well now with beef stew.” - James Suckling, “The Alluring Freshness of Spain”, July ’17 gave 90 points to 2014 El Pedrosal. “The oak is sitting up high in the nose and palate here with dark berry jam and coconut from top to tail…” -Wine Spectator, August ’17 gave 90 points to 2014 El Pedrosal. “Black cherry, licorice, and loamy earth flavors show depth, and focus in this plush red. Wellintegrated tannins and fresh acidity give this structure. Harmonious, with a lovely core of fruit...” • •
MESTRES
(D.O. Cava, Spain)
THE WINERY Mestres’ first documents as wine négociant are dated from 1312. We still have documents dated 1567 from Mestres. In 1607, we find documents as vine growers and owners showing the vineyard: “Heretat Mas Coquet”. In the 1600’s, they started building the actual winery in Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Penedes, Spain, which was finished in 1861. They are still owned by the 30th generation of the family: Mestres. Mestres family was the first producer to register the word CAVA in 1959, aiming to inform the consumer that this was a sparkling wine, aged in a cellar, using the words "wines made in cellar" (vins de cava). First ones to produce a cava “non-dosage” in 1945, Visol (translates to: only wine). They have always used the traditional grapes of their terroir: Xarel.lo, Parellada, and Macabeu, all of them, hand harvested on their own 74 acres of vineyards, situated at 690 feet above sea level, some of the oldest vineyards in the area. To protect their patrimony, no insecticides, or herbicides, are used at the vineyard, and pruning is carried out to reduce their vigor, therefore producing grapes of greater ripeness, and intensity. Today, they still use traditional methods taught by their ancestors, including long aging in caves, the youngest of their wines, aged 20 months. All of the wines in their cellar are Reserva or Gran Reserva. Wines are left to be full and rich and aged completely - the wines undergo a natural stabilization process during their long aging, so that the crystals, which form, can then be “degorgéd” along with the yeasts. This is why 100% of their production is aged using cork, and riddling, and degorging is done by hand for all bottles, one-by-one, to ensure the highest quality. Nothing has changed at Mestres since they produced their first bottle of Cava, and you can taste the respect for their terroir, and authenticity in their wines.
THE WINES
MESTRES 1312, Reserva Brut • •
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Grapes: 30% Macabeu, 30% Xarel.lo, and 40% Parellada. Aging: The wine is obtained at a controlled temperature of 57-59° Fahrenheit. The second fermentation in bottle is completed in contact with the first 100% natural cork, in horizontal position in rima with over 20 months of aging in the traditional bottle on its lees. Finally, after disgorging (the manual process of yeast removal), the second cork is placed into the bottle. Mestres always states the disgorging date on the label. Residual sugar: Less than 6 g/l Taste: Delicate and finessed, distinguished notes of white fruits, flowers, and herb finished cuttings. On the palate it is fresh, revealing a great balance of sweetness, and acidity. Fine and elegant bubbles. Color: Pale yellow color with green highlights.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 90 points to Mestres NV 1312. "…opens with a lovely bouquet of green apple, green papaya, white flowers, and kumquat, with orange rind accents. The mousse glides on the mid-palate and yields ripe flavors of Pazzaz apple, mulberry, brioche, lemon zest, and Gravenstein apple. This is an exceedingly good value out of Penedes."
MESTRES COQUET 2013, Gran Reserva Brut Nature • •
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Grapes: 30% Macabeu, 40% Xarel.lo, and 30% Parellada. Aging: A Brut Nature, Gran Reserva with extended aging, a minimum of 40 months. The wine is obtained at a controlled temperature of 57-59° Fahrenheit. The second fermentation in bottle is completed in contact with the first 100% natural cork, in horizontal position in rima with over 40 months of aging in the traditional bottle on its lees. For longer aged cavas, the bottles are moved from the rima resting position to favor the yeast autolysis process, greatly improving structure, and complexity. Finally, after disgorging, we place the second cork. Mestres always states the disgorging date on the label. No dosage is added to the wine. Residual sugar: Less than 1.5 g/l Taste: Great elegance and aromatic richness, a wealth of aromas, floral touches, fresh cut grass, apples, pears and peaches, as well as citric and balsamic scents. The palate is well structured and spicy with a hint of tannin, leaving it quite dry, but rich, and lively. Fine bubbles and a long after taste. Color: Pale straw yellow with green highlights.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 91 points to 2013 Mestres Coquet Gran Reserva Brut Nature. “The wine delivers a superb aromatic constellation of bread fruit, salty soil tones, lemongrass, menthol and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is beautifully balanced, complex and full-bodied, with bright acids, elegant mousse and superb focus and grip on the long, classy and bone dry finish...” -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 91 points to 2012 Mestres Coquet Gran Reserva Brut Nature. “A golden hued wine, there are rich aromatics of Marcona almond, brioche, apricot, and Gala apple. This leads to flavors of cantaloupe, brioche, green papaya, and baking spices. The weight on the mid-palate gives this an added richness. While this possesses some aging potential, it is drinking exceedingly well right now."
MESTRES CUPAGE ROSÉ, Reserva Especia • •
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Grapes: 50% Trepat, 30% Monastrell, and 20% Pinot Noir. Aging: The wine is obtained at a controlled temperature of 57-59° Fahrenheit. The second fermentation in bottle is completed under natural cork, in horizontal position in rima with over 30 months of aging in the traditional bottle on its lees in Cava Mestres. Then the bottles are moved from the rima resting position to favor the yeast autolysis process, greatly improving structure, and complexity. Finally, after manual disgorging, we place the second cork. Mestres always states the disgorging date on the label. Residual sugar: Less than 6 g/l Taste: Red fruits, floral notes, and spices. The palate is structured, red fruit aromas reveal floral notes, and spicy undertones. Complex with good balanced acidity. Fine and elegant bubbles. Color: Bright raspberry color.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 90 points to 2013 Mestres Cupage Rosé Reserva. “…delivers fine aromatic complexity in its nicely evolved bouquet of cherries, blood orange, rye toast, salty soil tones, cloves and gentle smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied…with a fine core, elegant mousse and good acids adding lift and bounce on the long and complex finish…” -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 90 points to 2013 Mestres Cupage Rosé Reserva. “This opens with an aromatic profile of guava, red cherry starburst, orange rind, and hints of sourdough bread. The palate is bright and smooth yielding flavors reminiscent of guava, red cherry, red raspberry, strawberry, and Red Delicious apple. The silky mouthfeel is lovely, and the level of dosage employed, plays well with the varietals."
MESTRES VISOL 2011, Gran Reserva Brut Nature • •
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Grapes: 35% Macabeu, 40% Xarel.lo, and 25% Parellada, bush vines over 50 years old, manual harvest. Aging: The wine is fermented and aged in chestnut barrels in lees for 6 months. The second fermentation in bottle is completed under natural cork, in horizontal position in rima with over 50 months of aging in the traditional bottle on its lees in Cava Mestres. Then bottles are moved from the rima resting position to favor the yeast autolysis process, greatly improving structure and complexity. Finally, after manual disgorging, the wine is re-corked. Mestres always states the disgorging date on the label. The first cava, in 1945, to have “no dosage.” Residual sugar: Less than 1 g/l Taste: Integrated fine bubbles. The palate is structured, fresh, long and persistent. In the aftertaste found notes of brioche, toasty notes, balsamic, confit aromas... very elegant. Color: Attractive pale golden yellow with green highlights.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ‘18 gave 93 points to 2011 Mestres Visol Gran Reserva Brut Nature. “…offers up a superb bouquet of desiccated pear, lemon, salty minerality, a bit of sourdough bread, lovely smokiness and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and beautifully soil-driven, with a fine core, elegant mousse, superbly integrated acids and a long, poised and complex finish. This is about as refined and complex as Cava ever gets!”
MESTRES CLOS NOSTRE SENYOR 2008, Gran Reserva Brut Nature Premium • •
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Grapes: Single vineyard, Clos Nostre Senyor, with vines over 50 years old, 20% Macabeu, 60% Xarel.lo, and 20% Parellada. Aging: The wine is fermented and aged in chestnut barriques in lees for 10 months. The second fermentation in bottle is completed in contact with natural cork, in horizontal position in rima with 90 months of aging in the traditional bottle on its lees in Cava Mestres. Then bottles are moved from the rima resting position to favor the yeast autolysis process, greatly improving structure, and complexity. Finally, after manual disgorging, we place a second cork. Mestres always states the disgorging date on the label. Residual sugar less than 1 g/l Taste: This cava is dry, but creamy, preserve points a lot of brightness (acidity), food pairing wine. Very fine and elegantly carbonic. Aroma intense, with a point liquor, smoked, and slightly saline. We find remembrances of aromatic plants, toffee, quince jam, and cinnamon. Color: New gold.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ‘18 gave 94 points to 2006 Mestres Clos Nostre Senyor. “…a single vineyard, old vine bottling from this superb Cava producer…The vines are in excess of fifty years of age. The vins clairs for this cuvée are fermented in ancient chestnut barrels and aged ten months prior to bottling for their secondary fermentation, with sur latte aging taking place under cork for a minimum of seven and a half years prior to disgorgement…The bouquet is deep, complex and beautifully refined, offering up scents of dried peach, orange peel, a touch of hazelnut, beautifully complex soil tones, a touch of leesiness, ocean breeze, plenty of smokiness, and a topnote of lemongrass. On the palate the wine is crisp, complex, full-bodied and beautifully evolved, with a fine core, very refined mousse, still lovely acids and a long, soil-driven, and perfectly balanced finish. This has developed beautifully secondary layers of complexity on both the nose and palate, a lovely roundness in the mid-palate and is drinking at its apogee today, but still with plenty of life in it. Outstanding, fully mature Cava of pedigree, and distinction!”
R. LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA VIÑA TONDONIA (D.O.C. Rioja, Spain) Founded in 1877, López de Heredia stands out as one of the few worldwide wineries that respect and adheres to core principles taught by their ancestors.
photograph courtesy of Viña Tondonia
“Perhaps no winery in the world guards its traditions as proudly and steadfastly as López de Heredia does… it is paradoxically a winery in the vanguard, its viticulture and winemaking a shining, visionary example for young, forward-thinking producers all over the world… At López de Heredia, there is serenity that comes with adherence to core principles…” August 12th, 2009 by Eric Asimov, THE WINERY There are few wineries in Spain, or in the world, whose name conjures the heritage, and prestige evoked by R. López de Heredia. Little about this winery has changed in the 137 years, since its founding, by Don Rafael López de Heredia. The family adheres to a winemaking doctrine blueprinted in the 1880s – to make wine only from their own vineyards. Fermentation takes place in their 72 large oak vats, some of which are 139 years old. After fermentation, the wines are ready to be aged in 14,000 handmade American oak barrels. The wines will remain at R. López de Heredias’ underground cellars, stored at perfect temperature and tranquility, for a minimum of 3 to 10 years. Wines acquire their smoothness and bouquet during the bottle aging that follows, a minimum of 3 years for Crianzas, and 10 years for Gran Reserva wines. THE VINEYARD TONDONIA - Don Rafael López de Heredia acquired Viña Tondonia from a group of clergy in 1913. The Tondonia vineyard is a beautiful vineyard of over 247 acres, 1,600 feet above sea level, situated on the right bank of the Ebro River, in Rioja Alta. The soil is alluvial clay with a high concentration of limestone. There are 4 varieties of red grapes planted in this vineyard: Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano, and Garnacho. The Tondonia vineyard also has a few acres of white grapes (Viura and Malvasia), from which R. López de Heredia makes their Tondonia Blanco. This small section of the vineyard is widely regarded as some of the most definitive “terroir” for white Rioja.
THE VINEYARD BOSCONIA - The vineyard “El Bosque” is situated beside the Ebro River, with a height of 1,527 feet above sea level, less than a mile from the winery. The soil is clay and limestone with an average vine age of 40 years. It has a total of 37 acres: Tempranillo, red Garnacho, Mazuelo, and Graciano. Originally, the founder, due to his French influence, gave the wines names inspired by French wines. Viña Bosconia comes from a Burgundy-style wine that he used to make with a high percentage of Pinot Noir, which he called “Rioja Cepa Borgoña”. THE VINEYARD CUBILLAS - The Viña Cubillo wine comes from the vineyard “Cubillas”, which is 2 miles away from the winery. Its height is 1,348 feet above sea level and the vines have an average age of 40 years. The soil is from the terciaria age, composed of clay, and limestone. The surface is 59 acres: Tempranillo, Garnacho, Mazuelo, and Graciano. Historically, the wines from that vineyard were called “Special Harvest”. THE VINEYARD ZACONIA - Viña Gravonia wine comes from our vineyard called “Viña Zaconia”. The vineyard is 0.12 miles from the winery and close to the Ebro River. Its height is 1,116 feet above sea level and the average age of the vines is 45 years. The soil is stony, the roots of the vines go deep, and ensure very balanced, ripe grapes. Viña Zaconia has a surface of 59 acres, all of them Viura grape. Historically, the wines coming from that vineyard were called “Viña Zaconia”.
THE WINES VIÑA TONDONIA GRAN RESERVA 1995/96 (red) • • • • •
Grapes: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo, and Graciano. Aging: 9 years in American oak barrels and at least 9 years in bottles. Racked twice per year, and no added yeast. Taste: Prolonged aging in old oak has lent this Gran Reserva a complexity and wealth of mysterious nuances. On the palate the wine retains its vitality as if it wanted to conceal its true age. Gastronomy: Excellent with all kinds of meat. Color: Vibrant red leading slightly towards amber.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -James Suckling, “The Alluring Freshness of Spain” July ’17 gave 96 points to Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 1995. “Sweet tobacco, orange zest, and hints of balsamic with dried fruits on the nose. Full body, soft, silky, with a tangy, and fruity combination that gives such pleasure. Very balanced and refined. Aged ten years in cask…” -eRobertParker.com, April ’15 gave 97 points to 1995 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva. “This light-colored, ethereal 1995 is the essence of Viña Tondonia. It has developed aromas and complexity gained with time in bottle of incense, leather, cured meat, cherries in liqueur, cold bonfire, and spices. The palate is super-tasty, with fully-resolved tannins, and very good acidity. The texture is super-fine, sophisticated, and ethereal with gob-smacking balance. Intense, powerful, and elegant, too.”
VIÑA BOSCONIA GRAN RESERVA 2001 (red) Will be released in 2020 !!! • • • • •
Grapes: 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 5% Mazuelo, and Graciano. Aging: 10 years in American oak barrels and at least 9 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. Taste: Its nose is persistent, with complex tertiary aromas. Round in the mouth, smooth and elegant, with a very long finish. Gastronomy: Excellent with roasted meat, especially lamb, pork, and game. Color: Red ruby color with a brick red rim.
CRITICS AND REVIVEWS: -International Wine Cellar, Sept/Oct ‘12 gave 95 points to 1995 Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva,”Dark red. A kaleidoscopic bouquet evokes candied red fruits, incense, pipe tobacco, and potpourri, with hints of woodsmoke, leather, and Asian spices gaining strength in the glass. Tangy acidity adds lift and focus to a strikingly long, sappy finish. This wine belies its age with its vivacity.”
VIÑA TONDONIA RESERVA 2006 (red) • • • • •
Grapes: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Graciano, and Mazuelo. Aging: 6 years in American oak barrels and at least 4 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. Taste: Terrific nose of leather, oak, vanilla, citrus, and spice. Full palate and complex development, very dry, and very well balanced. Gastronomy: All kinds of meats and grilled fish. Color: A darker, vivacious, deep garnet.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June '18 gave 93 points to 2005 Viña Tondonia Reserva. “…a beautiful example of classical Rioja, with the developing aromatic and flavor complexity of a thirteen year-old wine that is, in reality, just beginning its vinous journey. The bouquet is pure, old school and stellar, jumping from the glass in a mix of black cherries, raspberries, Rioja spices, a refined base of soil elements, incipient notes of cigar smoke, fresh nutmeg and a lovely bass-line of coconutty, old American oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and already nicely velvety on the attack, with a fine core, lovely soil signature, modest tannins and a long, tangy and still fairly primary finish…” -Robertparker.com, The Wine Advocate, March ’18 gave 95 points to 2006 Viña Tondonia Reserva. “… It always matures in used American oak barriques for some six years. The oldest of all the reds I tasted, it was also the one with more freshness, which speaks to the quality of the vineyard...” -Wine & Spirits, The Restaurant Top 50 The Most Popular Wines in America’s Top Restaurants, April ’18 gave #1 ranking to Viña Tondonia Reserva. -James Suckling, “The Alluring Freshness of Spain”, July ’17 gave 94 points to 2005 Viña Tondonia Reserva. “Lovely depth of fruit to this mature red with chocolate, dark tea, and bark. Purple flowers and violets. Full, very silky, and refined. A beautiful traditional wine to get to know...”
VIÑA BOSCONIA RESERVA 2006 (red) • • • • •
Grapes: 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 5% Graciano, and Mazuelo. Aging: 5 years in American oak barrels and at least 4 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. Taste: Its nose is persistent, full bodied, and showing a lot of mature fruit, being dominated by the Tempranillo grape. Its taste is round, smooth, fresh, full of body, and persistent. Gastronomy: The perfect partner to roasted and highly flavored meats. Color: Evolved perfectly, showing a deep ruby color, with shades of orange.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Robertparker.com, The Wine Advocate, March ’18 gave 94 points to 2006 Viña Bosconia Reserva. “…These are amazing wines, clean and complex, with polished tannins, and surprisingly good acidity… There are some dusty tannins and some flavors that still remind you of fresh fruit…” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 93 points to 2005 Viña Bosconia Reserva. “…The red fruity aromatic constellation offers up a mix of raspberries, cherries, cloves, incipient nutskin, a complex base of soil and a fine base of coconutty American oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, focused, tangy and still a bit tannic, with a lovely core of fruit, great transparency and grip, impressive precision and a long, nascently complex and extremely promising finish...” VIÑA CUBILLO CRIANZA 2009 (red) • • •
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Grapes: 65% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacho, 10% Mazuelo, and Graciano. Aging: 3 years in American oak barrels and at least 3 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. Taste: Fresh with a slight aroma of licorice with consistent texture and persistent aroma, comparable to any Rioja Gran Reserva!!!!! This Crianza has all the seriousness of an older Reserva. Gastronomy: Good with tapas, vegetables, cold meats, and charcuterie. Color: Clear, bright ruby.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 91 points to 2009 Viña Cubillo Crianza. “…just starting to drink with generosity at age nine, but has the balance to age gracefully for at least another twenty years…delivers a fine and utterly classic bouquet of cherries, red plums, fresh nutmeg, incipient notes of Rioja nuttiness, a fine base of soil, gentle notes of clove and a fine base of toasty coconut American oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with a bit of backend tannin, fine complexity and grip and a long, classy and vibrant finish...” -Wine & Spirits, The Restaurant Top 50 The Most Popular Wines in America’s Top Restaurants, April ’18 gave #1 ranking to Viña Cubillo Crianza. -Robertparker.com, The Wine Advocate, March ’18 gave 92 points to 2009 Viña Cubillo Crianza. “… It shows very good balance between fruit and more developed aromas, with hints of leather and cherries, spices and smoke, very clean, and with good volume in the palate...” -Vinous Media "Spain's New Releases, Part 2: Triumphs and Travails " May ’17 gave 91 points to 2008 Viña Cubillo Crianza."… Brilliant ruby-red. Aromas of fresh red berries, cherry pit and pungent herbs, joined in the glass by subtle vanilla, and herb nuances. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering lively red currant, and bitter cherry flavors, that flesh out on the back half. In an energetic style, showing very good finishing energy, and smooth tannins framing lingering red fruit.”
VIÑA TONDONIA GRAN RESERVA 1996 (white) • • • • •
Grapes: 90% Viura, 10% Malvasia. Aging: 10 years in American oak barrels and at least 9 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. Taste: Smooth, round and well developed, full of persistent aromas. Gastronomy: All kinds of fish, white meats, egg, and pasta dishes. Color: Gold evolve.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -JamesSuckling.com “Top 100 Wines of 2017” gave 98 points to 1996 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva. “Aromas of wax, lime zest, lemon curd and cooked apple. Dried mango, too. Full body, dense and rich with incredible depth of fruit, and intensity. Big and powerful, yet so fresh, and fruity. Texture of a top Montrachet.” -International Wine Review, July ’15 gave 95 points to 1994 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva. “… has developed an incredible earthy mushroom and herbal complexity. It offers excellent concentration and acidity that has helped preserve this wine for 20 years. The finish goes on and on with notes of undergrowth, tea, and almonds.” VIÑA TONDONIA RESERVA 2005 (white) • Grapes: 90% Viura, 10% Malvasia. • Aging: 6 years in American oak barrels and at least 6 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. • Taste: Fresh rich nose, elegant, and complex. The results of bottle aging are to be felt on the palate and this white Reserva exhibits all the qualities of a wellrounded, densely, sophisticated wine. • Gastronomy: Perfect with all kinds of fish and grilled seafood. • Color: Natural gold develop. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 93 points to 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva. “…The bouquet has reached a beautiful point of evolution at age fourteen, wafting from the glass in a sophisticated blend of white cherries, a touch of orange peel, sweet almonds, salty soil tones, vanilla bean, a nice touch of coconut and a discreet floral topnote of lilac blossoms. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, bright acids, excellent focus and grip and a long, vibrant and lovely finish. Fine, fine juice.” -Robertparker.com, The Wine Advocate, March ’18 gave 95 points to 2005 Viña Tondonia Reserva “… this showed higher ripeness and a lot more developed aromas, nuttier with hints of hay and straw, honey, and also chamomile, and dried flowers. But the oak is never obvious in the wine, it only adds spiciness, but no wood aromas...” -Wine & Spirits, “Year’s Best Rioja”, Dec ’17 gave 96 points to 2004 Viña Tondonia Reserva.“… Open the bottle and you might taste tart lemon, juicy almond, and touches of oxidation, bringing to mind wood oils. Those flavors integrate with air, so that the wine saturates the palate with freshness, the scent turned heady, toward croissants and almond blossoms, the flavors savory, salty, and bright… Leave it in the decanter, and it gives off the energy of the cool sun at harvest, delicious memory of an ideal autumn day in 2004.”
VIÑA GRAVONIA CRIANZA 2008 (white) Grapes: 100% Viura. Aging: 4 years in American oak barrels and at least 5 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. • Taste: Time transformed a fruity young wine into a mature wine with an oaky nose and retains an echo of white Viura grapes. Traces of grape freshness on the palate overlaid by the tannins and lignins of older oak with a pleasing touch of acidity. • Gastronomy: Tapas, any kind of fish, shellfish, and poultry. • Color: Paler gold. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine Spectator, Jul ‘18 gave 93 points to 2008 Viña Gravonia Crianza. ” Rich and firm, this white shows complex flavors of dried apple, creamed pear, heather, white tea, coconut, and vanilla. Juicy acidity and light tannins keep this focused, providing structure for the long haul. A lovely example of the traditional style.” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 91 points to 2008 Viña Gravonia Crianza. “To my mind, the Viña Gravonia bottling from López de Heredia is the finest value in classically-styled Rioja Blanco that one can find on this wide earth…On the palate the wine is crisp, complex and full-bodied, with a superb core, excellent soil signature, bright, zesty acids and superb focus and grip on the long and complex finish. Great juice and a superb value.” -Robertparker.com, The Wine Advocate, March ’18 gave 94 points to 2008 Viña Gravonia Crianza. “ It has the right balance between youth and freshness and the more-developed aromas. The notes of dried flowers, honey, nuts, and petrol, are intermixed with aromas of quince, medlar, and other yellow fruit, with hints of saffron and spices, quite developed. The palate is very tasty, and it ends with a salty finish...” • •
VIÑA TONDONIA GRAN RESERVA 2008 (rosé) Grapes: 30% Tempranillo, 60% Garnacho, and 10% Viura. Aging: 4 years in American oak barrels and at least 5 years in bottles. Racked twice per year and no added yeast. • Taste: Has a “vineux” bouquet, fresh and fruity, with suggestions of bitter almonds, and hazelnuts. Light, with a full taste in the mouth. • Gastronomy: Goes very well with spicy, hot food. Perfect with sausage, charcuterie - a versatile and unique wine. • Color: Onion skin, velvety, hints at becoming tawny. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Aug ’18 gave 96 points to 2008 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rose, wine is listed “Year’s Best Rosés” -Vinous Media (Rosé New Releases: No Slowing Down in 2018), Jun ’18 gave 93 points to 2008 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rose. “Pale copper-tinged orange. A powerfully scented bouquet evokes orange zest, red currant, rose oil, cinnamon, and smoky minerals. Juicy and precise on the palate, offering intense red berry, and citrus fruit flavors, along with hints of honey, vanilla and candied flowers… an impressively long finish that displays outstanding clarity and spicy cut.” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 92 points to 2008 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rose. “…has the cut and grip to go another fifteen to twenty years in the bottle. The bouquet is pure and complex, offering up scents of desiccated cherries, clove-like spice tones, salty soil elements, orange peel, dried flowers and a hint of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a fine core, excellent complexity and grip….” • •
ADEGA FAMILIAR ELADIO PIÑEIRO
(D.O. RÍAS BAIXAS, SPAIN & D.O.C. ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL)
“It is a journey through time, with memories of the past, using traditional varieties.”
THE WINERY Eladio Piñeiro founded Bodegas Mar de Frades in 1983, after spending many years making Albariño wine, before the Appellation Rías Baixas was granted. In January 2003, due to events that have influenced the life of his family, he decided to sell his winery, only keeping the vineyards he owned. Supported by his family, Eladio decided to take a step forward, doing what really excites, and motivates him. He started making wines again. By showing their roots and history, he produced a red from Portuguese Alentejo, and whites from Albariño Rías Baixas, while having absolute freedom to create, and develop small amounts of real wine. As Pasteur said, “A wine bottle holds more philosophy than all the books in the world.”
THE WINE FRORE DE CARME, 2013/15 (white) – D.O. Rías Baixas, (Spain) • • • • • •
Grapes: 100% Albariño, average age of the vineyards 30 years, biodynamic for 8 years, located at Salnés Valley. Aging: 1.2 years aged on fine lees in stainless steel (monthly batonnage) and 6 months bottle aged. Residual sugar: Less than 1.5 g/l. Taste: Dense, full bodied, well balanced in fruit and alcohol, with nuances of hay, brioche, and minerality. Elegant, long, and tantalizing. Color: Straw-like yellow, bright, and sharp trimmed. Cork: Glass cork… no cork problems!!!
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Aug ’18, gave 93 points to 2013 Frore de Carme, wine is listed “Year’s Best Galician & Rias Baixas Wines” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18, gave 90 points to 2013 Frore de Carme. “The 2013 “Sólo Albariño, Doble Lías” from Frore de Carme is a lovely example of mature Albariño that is still drinking beautifully and bright and vibrant on both the nose and palate. The secondary layers of complexity inform the nose of fresh lime, a bit of pineapple, lovely leesy tones, salty minerality, candied citrus peel and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, full-bodied, complex and well-balanced, with a fine core, still very good acidity and a long, focused and classy finish. This is at its peak at age five, but still has plenty of life ahead of it.”
ENVIDIACOCHINA, TÊTE DE CUVÉE 2017 (white) -D.O. Rías Baixas, (Spain) • • • •
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Grapes: 100% Albariño, average age of the vineyards 30 years, biodynamic for 8 years, located at Salnés Valley (Rías Baixas). Aging: 6 months aging on fine lees in stainless steel with weekly batonnage. Then this wine is blended with 15% of Frore de Carme wine from previous vintage that has 12.5 months aging. Residual sugar: Less than 2 g/l. Taste: Very elegant, tastes of fruit syrup, and balsamic from its aging on lees with licorice and fennel remembrances, excellent acidity, soft, fresh, unctuous, and tasty. Aftertaste is long with a mineral touch and occasional excellent bitter undertones. Very greedy. Color: Straw, light golden yellow with glints of green, neat, and shiny.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Aug ’18, gave 94 points to 2016 Envidiacochina, wine is listed “Year’s Best Galician & Rias Baixas Wines” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 90 points to 2016 Envidiacochina. “The 2016 “Tête de Cuvée” from Envidiacochina is really a fine bottle of Albariño, offering up a salty and citric bouquet of lime, sweet grapefruit, gentle lees tones, salty minerality, a touch of ocean breeze, lemongrass and a topnote of orange peel. On the palate the wine is crisp, fullish, complex and very nicely balanced, with a good core, fine cut and grip and a long, focused and classy finish. Makes me wish I was back in Cambados with some scallops baked in their shell to go with the wine!”
AMODIÑO 2015 (white) – D.O.C. Rías Baixas, (Spain) Amodíno – finis terrae. Amodiñop means fondly to indulge and finis terrae means the end of the earth. The wine is produced in exceptional terroirs in Rias Baixas. • •
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Grapes: 100% Albariño, practice organic and Byodinamic, Salnés Valley old vineyards, Rias Baixas DO Aging: Aging on its own fine lees, with monthly batonage in stainless steel tanks for 12 months. After that ages 3 months with the previous year lees, and 3 more months with the next year lees. After that will also spend at least 5 more months of ripening in the tank, being bottled at the end of the year, so 2 years after harvest. Taste: Unctuous, dry, salty, balanced acidity, silky, very long, and complex. Color: Straw yellow, intense, viscous in the glass.
LA COARTADA, GRAN RESERVA 2009 (red) – D.O.C. Alentejo, (Portugal) La Coartada means your alibi. • Grapes: 80% Aragonez (Tempranillo), 15% Alicante Bouschet (cross of garnacha and petit bouschet), and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vineyards average age 25 years in espalier, biodynamic located in Estremoz, North-Central Alentejo. • Aging: Long aging for 48 months in new barrels with further maturing in stainless steel casks for 36 months. No clarification or filtering applied at bottling. After that, 6 more months bottle aging. Taste: Ample and gentle in the mouth, reveals complexity with hints of roast and minerals, but also underwood and ink. Complex, round, edgeless despite the tannic strength. Long aftertaste with a hint of sweetness. • Color: Cherry colored, purple sparkle, abundant leg, medium layer. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: - Wine Spectator, July ’17 gave 91 points to 2007 La Coartada. “This savory red displays dried cherry, tea and leather notes, bound together by vibrant orange peel acidity, and mushroom undertones. Graceful, with a supple texture.” -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Apr ’17 gave 90 points to 2007 La Coartada and named it one of ‘The Year’s Best Portuguese Reds’. “At first, this tastes fully mature, with the sweet mushroom notes of an old Rioja. Later, as it opens, it gains a foresty coolness, the silken texture yielding notes of pomegranate, rose, and dried flowers.” -International Wine Report, Sept ’16 gave 90 points to 2006 La Coartada Gran Reserva. “… Upon awakening there are deep aromas of wild strawberry, rhubarb, sour red cherry, black plums, and roasted dates. The wine has rich flavors of black tea, rose petals, cranberry, Yakima cherry, and suggestions of nutmeg and orange rind. The citrus component to this wine contributes to the balance.”
CASTELL DEL REMEI
(D.O. Costers del Segre, Spain)
THE WINERY Castell del Remei is located in Penelles (D.O. Costers del Segre, Spain) and was built in 1780. By the 19th century, they had 988 acres of local varietals of grapes, and were the first Catalan winery to sell “aged wine� on the market. They received their first award in 1887, the gold medal at the Brussels International Expo. In 1902, Castell del Remei established a guide for their workers on how to care and provide for the vineyards (Manaments pels Mitgers). It is a reflection of their admiration and respect for the vineyards, and soils, and consistency of the vineyard work. Castell del Remei is the 4th oldest brand in Spain. The Castell del Remei estate currently consists of six adjoining buildings partially built underground to avoid temperature variations. Half of the winery is dedicated to barrel aging wines primarily in French oak barrels. The estate also includes a restaurant, a castle that was built in 1780, and a church devoted to the Virgin of Remei.
Today, Castell del Remei manages 345 acres of vineyards. They plant a mixture of grape varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is 20 years old, while some garnachas are more than 40 years old. The vineyards are located at 2,000 feet above sea level. The soil is mainly calcareous (chalky), but includes some limestone. There is marked diversity of the soils in the estate that contributes to the enormous wealth of nuances typical of Castell del Remei wines.
THE WINE GOTIM BRU, 2016/17 • • •
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Grapes: 45% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 8% Syrah. Aging: 10 months in primarily French oak barrels. Taste: Powerful, complex aromas: notes of red fruit preserves with lactic hints; toffee, sweet spices and toasted notes evoke its time in cask. Aeration reveals mineral aromas, alongside biscuit notes, candied fruit cake and hints of aromatic herbs. Sweet, voluptuous, mouth feel. Well-structured tannins fill the palate. Good acidity throughout, adding freshness. Very long, balanced finish with hints of dried fruit, and wafers. Gastronomy: Beef, lamb, spicy food, and tapas. Color: Black cherry, medium intensity, with garnet highlights.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -eRobertParker.com, May ’11 gave 90 points to 2009 Gotim Bru. “Aromas of underbrush, brier, spice box, lavender, and assorted black fruits leads to a mouth-filling wine with good balance, some complexity, and 1-2 year of aging potential (not that there is any reason to defer gratification).”
CASAL DE ARMÁN (D.O. Ribeiro, Spain)
Casal de Armán was founded in the late 1990’s by the González family, who have been making Ribeiro wines since the 19th century. The winery property is an 18th century court, located in San Andres, Ribadavia Ourense, in Northwest Spain, Galicia, with an old manor house that has been converted into a country hotel. A family owned winery with 50 acres of its own vineyards in the historic valley of the river Avia, D.O. Ribeiro. The vineyards are terraced along the Avia’s river banks with heights ranging from 650-1500 feet above sea level. Terraces include previously abondoned “socalcos”, some over 100 years old, which the family is in the process of recovering. Soil is primarily granite based, “sábrego”, but also includes slate schist and sand. The wine making philosophy of Casal de Armán is to preserve the best practices of their ancestors, with minimal intervention in the vineyard and no use of herbicides. Strict control of temperature in the winery ensures that the indigenous varieties achieve maximum expression in the wines. The vineyards are dedicated to cultivating indigenous varitals including white varieties, Treixadura principally, Godello, Albariño, Loureiro and also reds, Brancellao, Caiño Longo and Souson. The grapes are handpicked and 100% of their wines are estate wines. Felicísimo Pereira, the new Ribeiro Appellation’s president and Javier González Vázquez are the winemakers at Casal de Armán.
“Best of Ribeiro”
Wine Enthusiast Magazine- A Wine Lover’s Guide to Spain, 2016
THE WINE CASAL DE ARMÁN, 2015/16 (white) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 90% Treixadura, 5% Godello, and 5% Albariño. Elaboration: Grape selection is done at the vineyard, combining grapes from different soil types and orientations to show the unique character of this historic region. Temperature control from the moment grapes are picked with immediate transport in isolthermal vehicle, grapes are kept for 12 hours in a refrigerated chamber at 45° Fahrenheit. Whole berries are pressed using a pneumatic press. The must settles naturally and then ferments in temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks, where it rests for 9 months prior to bottling. Taste: Good structure and a rich mouthfeel with aromas of nectarine, fennel, and white flowers with a long and elegant finish. Color: Very bright straw yellow with greenish gleams. Gastronomy: Shellfish, simply cooked, or rare.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 92 points to 2016 Casal de Armán Blanco. “…offers up a lovely nose of apple, pear, salty soil tones, a bit of Treixadura’s olive…a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, fullbodied, focused and beautifully balanced, with bright acids, a fine core and impressive length and grip on the zesty finish…” -Wine Spectator, April ’17 gave 92 points to 2015 Casal de Armán Blanco. “This firm white delivers weight and focus. Creamed pear and melon flavors, mingle with herb, balanced almond and spice notes, while citrusy acidity keeps this lively. Rich, bright, and balanced.”
CASAL DE ARMÁN, 2016 (red) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 34% Sousón, 33% Caiño Longo, and 33% Brancellao. Elaboration: Grapes are handpicked, selection is done at the vineyard. Whole berry pre-fermentation, then cold maceration. Cold temperature is maintained during the destemming and vatting. Meceration of grape skins for 7 days in stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation. Racked and then rests in stainless steel vats for 11 months prior to bottling. Aged fin the bottle for an additional 3-4 months. Taste: Shows a liveliness and freshness, together with a vibrant acidity that makes it a very gastronomic wine. Notes of blackberries, bayleaf and raspberries. Color: Cherry red with violet rim. Gastronomy: Soft aromatic cheeses like Camembert and Galician Tetilla. Chocolate cherry or 50% dark chocolate with sea salt. Octopus, seafood, roasted vegetables, and soft meat stews.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 90 points to 2016 Casal de Armán (red). “…fermented and raised in stainless steel and does not see any oak… offers up a lovely nose of dark berries, cherries, pepper, woodsmoke, a fine base of soil, a touch of tree bark and a lovely mix of gentle botanicals. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright, soil-driven and complex, with a good core, fine focus and grip, lovely acids and a quite long, bouncy and impressively complex finish...” -International Wine Report, March ’17 gave 91 points to 2015 Casal de Armán (red). “This deep-hued wine opens with a bouquet of sage, black pepper, black cherry, black plum, creosote, and loganberry liquor.The minerality is striking as it blends beautifully into the integrated flavors of red cherry, black forest cake, chocolate shavings, and suggestions of wet gravel. Polished, intense, and lithe.”
EIRA DOS MOUROS, 2016 (white) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • • • • •
Grapes: 100% Treixadura Elaboration: Grape selection is done at the vineyard, then cold maceration of the whole grape grains. Fermented at low temperature in stainless steel tanks. Stabilized for some months in vats until it’s bottled in June. Taste: Fresh, vivid, bright, with notes of exotic fruits, mango and pineapple in syrup, A pleasant and long finish with beautiful minerality. Lovely purity of fruit. Leaves a spicy bite on the finish. Color: Very bright straw yellow with greenish gleams. Gastronomy: Delicious with salty fish, such as sardines, or mackerel.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 90 points to 2016 Casal de Armán Eira dos Mouros. “The 2016 Eira Dos Mouros Blanco from Bodegas Casal de Armán is made entirely from Treixadura and comes in at a cool 12.5 percent octane. The wine delivers a fine and vibrant bouquet of lime, tart pear, a touch of green olive, lovely, stony minerality and a topnote of lemongrass. On the palate the wine is medium-full, crisp and well-balanced, with a good core, fine focus and grip and a long, bright and nicely complex finish. This is really a lovely middleweight that works admirably well at the table.” -International Wine Report, October ’17 gave 90 points to 2016 Casal de Armán Eira dos Mouros. “This 100% Treixadura begins with bright aromatics of white peach, starfruit, and lemon curd. Lithe and rich, the mouthfeel is impressive. The mid-palate reveals lemon zest, kumquat, Gravenstein apple, and lychee flavors, as the wine reveals an exotic edge. This finishes long with Meyer lemon flavors lingering.”
EIRA DOS MOUROS, 2016 (red) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 50% Sousón, 40% Caiño Longo, and 10% Brancello. Elaboration: Grape selection is done at the vineyard. Pre-fermentative cold maceration of the whole grapes, maintaining low temperatures during destemming. Skins soaked for 4-5 days in stainless steel vats followed by racking where wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. 11 months aging in stainless steel vats, bottle aged 4-5 months before release. Taste: Medium intensity on the nose showing black plums, lavender, and aromatic herbs on the nose. Full of fruit, fresh on the palate, with fresh cranberry, and blueberry notes coming through. Color: Cherry red with garnate rim.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Aug ’18, gave 90 points to 2016 Eira dos Mouros (red), wine is listed “Best Buy & Year’s Best Galician & Rias Baixas Wines”. -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 92 points to 2016 Eira dos Mouros (red). “…offers up a fine bouquet of dark berries, a touch of tree bark, chicory, cigar smoke and an excellent base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and intensely flavored, with a fine core, excellent transparency and grip, impeccable balance and a long, complex and modestly tannic finish. There is a touch of volatile acidity here when the wine is first opened, but give it ten or fifteen minutes in decanter and it blows off nicely. This is an excellent value!”
FINCA MISENHORA, 2016 (White) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 90% Treixadura, 5% Godello, and 5% Albariño. Elaboration: One the highest vineyards in the Avia Valley. Careful selection process at the vineyard to assure Treixadura, Godello, and Albariño, with greatest maturation potential; manual harvesting. Rest on deposit for 10 months, 6 of them on their lees, and 8-11 months bottle until release to the market. Taste: The vineyard soils are Sábrego (sandy compound of granite origin) offering unctuous and well structured wine, with peach aromas, white flowers, and mineral nances.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -eRobertParker.com, The Wine Advocate, August ’17 gave 92 points to 2015 Casal de Armán,Armán Finca Misenhora. “It is matured in contact with the lees and undergoes bâtonnage in stainless steel tanks for 6-8 months... It has very good balance, subtlety, and the ingredients for a positive evolution in bottle.”
FINCA OS LOUREIROS, 2016 (White) – D.O. Ribeiro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 100% Treixadura Elaboration: Vineyard of 100% Treixadura, that yield grapes with greater maturation potential; manual harvesting. Fermentation at controlled temperature in fine French oak barrels of 500 liters on the lees with battonage for 6 months and then 10 more months of bottle aging. Taste: The aromas of pear and ripe citrus are intertwined with the nuances of vanilla and spices of aging.
CRITICS & REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Aug ’18, gave 90 points to 2015 Casal de Armán, Armán Finca Os Loureiros., wine is listed “Year’s Best Galician & Rias Baixas Wines”. -eRobertParker.com, The Wine Advocate, August ’17 gave 91 points to 2015 Casal de Armán, Armán Finca Os Loureiros.“… Marked by toasty aromas and plenty of notes from barrique, where it was matured for 6-8 months. The wine comes from a vineyard in the San Clodio zone, where the soils are rich in sand, and granite.”
BUIL & GINÉ WINE CO. (Producing at Priorat, Monsant, Rueda and Toro D.O.´s, Spain) My grandfather, Joan Giné Giné, is the reason Buil & Gine was founded. He was a grower, in what was at the time, a poor region, Priorat. He pioneered and founded the wine cooperative, with the goal of preserving the terroir and culture of the region. He believed in “Traditional Viticulture”, growing vines organically. Following the path he set-out, we produce our wines, and do all work 100% organically. Buil & Giné started the organic certification process for our vineyards in 2014 and will have all properties certified by 2021. We started making our first wine in 1996: Giné Giné, my grandfather’s family name, as a tribute to my family, who has worked so hard to preserve our terroir. Buil & Giné is based in Gratallops, the core of the DOQ Priorat, where we produce all our wines, and where we own 200 acres of beautiful licorella soils terraced vineyards. Our oldest vineyards were planted in 1908. Our vineyards are 45% Red Garnacha, 30% Cariñena, 10% White varietals (White Garnaña, Macabeu, Viognier, and PX), and 15% other red varietals, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. We wanted to utilize the winery and vineyards as a way to share our way of life, a life centered around wine, so the wine must show the character of the local grapes, the minerality of the soil, and must be enjoyable and affordable. More than 15 years ago, we were able to purchase, a vineyard in Toro (Pago del Oro), and in Rueda, each producing, 1 single vineyard wine for each of those DO’s. “Passion for fruit, appreciation of wood, and respect for the soil. Harmony and balance.” Buil & Giné
THE WINES
PLERET 2010/11 (red) - D.O.Q. Priorat, (Spain)
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Grapes: 30% Red Garnacha, 30% Cariñena from old vines (more than 40 years old), 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Syrah. Elaboration: Varieties separately fermented. Temperature controlled, long maceration. Wine kept in French oak barrels for 10 – 14 months. Followed by coupage and bottling. Then wines are bottle aged for at least 5 years. Taste: Notes of minerals, in the nose. Predominance of ripe forest fruits and slightly roasted overtones. Elegant and balanced, with a ripe fruit entrance, followed by a fresh flavor with an unctuous, long finish, and slight wood overtones. Color: Intense scarlet with clear and bright ruby red trimmings. Suggestion: Open and decant 30 minutes before serving.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Oct ’18 gave 92 points to 2011 Pleret, wine is listed “Year’s Best Priorat & Monstant Wines”. -International Wine Report, Dec ’17 gave 91 points to 2011 Pleret. “The 2011 Buil & Gine 'Pleret' is a compelling blend of Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. This deep colored wine begins with aromas of raspberry, thyme, and roasted dates. There is some nice mid-palate weight as the wine reveals dark fruit flavors with a touch of chocolate. The minerality impresses in this outstanding wine that is best enjoyed over the next decade.” -International Wine Report, May ’16 gave 94 points to 2010 Pleret. “… begins with bright aromas of spicebox, black cherry, and black olive. This blend has incredible poise with flavors of anise, crème de cassis, wild blackberry, and hints of Black Forest cake, and Mandarin orange rind. There is lovely range to this irresistible bottling.”
JOAN GINÉ 2013 (red) - D.O.Q. Priorat, (Spain)
Grapes: 45% Red Garnacha, 45% Cariñena from old vines (more than 25 years old), and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from young vines (5-12 years old). • Elaboration: Varieties separately fermented. Temperature controlled, long maceration (approximately 24 days). Wine kept in American and French oak barrels for 12 months. Followed by coupage and bottling. Then bottle aged for at least 2 years. • Taste: Rich with black fruits, figs, mint and sweet pepper, well combined with oak flavors like vanilla, toasted dry fruits, and truffle. Structured wine with strong, but pleasant tannins, and mineral notes that come from Llicorella soil. Ripe grape bouquet typical of the Priorat Garnacha and Cariñena varieties. • Color: Dark-colored red. • Suggestion: Open and decant 30 minutes before drinking. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Oct ’18 gave 93 points to 2013 Joan Giné, wine is listed “Year’s Best Priorat & Monstant Wines”. -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Feb ’17 gave 93 points to 2012 Joan Giné. "What began as a family of growers in Priorat is today one of the area's stellar wineries. Joan Giné is its flagship-a blend of equal parts Garnacha and Cariñena, with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Notes of slate and bright red fruit lead the way, with nuances of dried fruit and spices, giving complexity, and charm. It's a big wine, with strong tannins, so cellar it for five years, or pour now with something meaty." -International Wine Report, May ’16 gave 92 points to 2012 Joan Giné. “This compelling wine starts with aromas of black cherry, coffee grounds, red currant, And black tea. There are flavors of black cherry, spicebox, anise, with hints of cassis, and Earl Grey tea…This is some really nice value out of Priorat.” •
JOAN GINÉ BLANC 2017 (white) - D.O.Q. Priorat, (Spain) Grapes: 60% White Garnacha, 16% Macabeo, 20% Viognier, and 4% Pedro Ximenez. • Elaboration: Different varieties are harvested at their best ripening time. They are separately fermented in French oak barrels, starting with batonnage. Wine is aged 8 months in new French oak barrels, then bottled, and aged for a few months before release. • Taste: Dry white wine with tropical fruit notes and light floral aromas in combination with a wide palate and big structure. Its complexity shows its character. • Color: Light gold. CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine Spectator Magazine, June ’17 gave 92 points to 2015 Joan Giné Blanc. “This expressive white offers floral and tropical notes, framing a core of pear, peach, and blanched almond flavors. Lively acidity and light tannins impart grip. Features a righ texture, but remains fresh, and delicate through the spicy finsh.” -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 93 points to 2015 Joan Giné Blanc. “…This excellent wine… comes to life and opens with a bright bouquet of marzipan, blood orange rind, kumquat, and suggestions of beeswax. The midpalate weight is lovely as the wine currently reveals rich flavors of brioche, butternut squash, orange marmalade, honey, Pazzaz apple, and suggestions of baking spices. Rich, dense, and plush, with incredible aromatic and flavours, the silky mouthfeel leads to an exceedingly long finish that delightfully lingers.” •
GINÉ GINÉ 2016 (red) - D.O.Q. Priorat, (Spain)
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Grapes: 40% Red Garnacha, 60% Cariñena. Elaboration: Varieties separately fermented. Temperature controlled 78º – 82º, long maceration. Followed by malic-lactic fermentation. Once this process is completed we proceed with the coupage and bottling. Taste: Carries intense notes of flowers, fruits and minerals from the soil. This wine is fresh, very fruity, and well balanced. Color: Intense ruby.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Wine Spectator, Nov '18 gave 90 points to 2016 Giné Giné. "This red is dense yet lively, with floral and smoke notes that frame bright cherry and red plum flavors, backed by mineral, licorice and garrigue details. Bright acidity enlivens the silky texture, supported by well-integrated tannins. Cariñena and Garnacha. Drink now through 2028.” -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Oct ’18 gave 92 points to 2016 Giné Giné, wine is listed “Year’s Best Priorat & Monstant Wines”. -Wine & Spirits Magazine, October ’17 gave 91 points to 2015 Giné Giné “A blend of garnacha and cariñena, it is intense in red fruit and exotic spice, with slight touches of slate. It needs at least five years to achieve its full complexity, but now, with its powerful texture…” -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 91 points to 2015 Giné Giné. “…Forward and delicious with aromas of black plum, black cherry, cardamom, and hints of milk chocolate. On the palate there are rich flavors of black cherry, roasted dates, French vanilla, and chocolate shavings. This continues to display decadent dark flavors while maintaining a strong mineral backbone. Delicious now and should drink beautifully well into the next decade.”
GINÉ ROSAT 2017 (rosé) - D.O.Q Priorat, (Spain) • • • •
Grapes: 80% Garnacha and 20% Merlot (young vines). Elaboration: Fermentative cryo-maceration at 46º, alcoholic fermentation at 64º in steel containers. Once fermentation is completed, the wine is allowed to rest for two months before bottling. Taste: It is fresh, fatty, full, and pleasant with a final fruity taste. Dry rosé wine, very aromatic, and complex. Total predominance of red fruits and flowers. Color: Light salmon pink.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Vinous Media (Make Way for Even More Rosé), June ’18 gave 91 points to 2016 Giné Rosat. “Pale lurid red. Mineral-accented cherry, raspberry, candied rose, and a suggestion of orange zest on the deeply perfumed nose. Shows very good depth and energy to the sappy raspberry, and bitter cherry flavors, which pick up a minerally aspect as the wine opens up. Smoothly blends power, elegance, and finishes with strong mineral cut, and floral lift.” -Wine Spectator, May ’18 gave 90 points to 2016 Giné Rosat. “This has the structure and depth of flavor of a light red, but the lithe texture and lively acidity keep this firmly in the rosé family. The color is deep, nearly crimson. Light tannins support the cherry, quinine, and bright herbal flavors…” -Wine Spectator Magazine, Oct ’16 gave 90 points to 2014 Giné Rosat in the article, “Spain’s New Approach”. “Buil & Giné offers a rare and distinctive rosé (rosat in Catalan); the 2014 blends Garnacha (80%) with Merlot for a dry, firm, and full-bodied version, a good match with food.”
NOSIS 2017 (white) - D.O. Rueda, (Spain) • • • •
Grapes: 100% Verdejo. 35 year old vines, grown in terraces over the Duero River. Elaboration: Fermentative cryo-maceration at 46º. Alcoholic fermentation at 64º in steel containers. After fermentation, the wine rests for two months before bottling. Dry white wine elaborated with Verdejo from old vineyards. Taste: Intense and complex in the nose, prominent tropical fruit flavors, and suggestions of freshly cut grass. In the mouth it’s sublime, extremely fruity, and completely balanced. Color: Light yellow with perfect brilliance.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 91 points to 2017 Nosis. “The Nosis bottling from Buil & Giné is composed entirely of Verdejo and the 2017 vintage comes in at thirteen percent octane. The wine offers up a lovely bouquet of pear, lime peel, a touch of green olive, a bit of sea salts, good soil tones and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is crisp, medium-full and complex, with good acids and grip, fine focus and a long, youthful and promising finish...” -International Wine Report, July ’17 gave 91 points to 2016 Nosis. “Sourced from Rueda this opens with a lively bouquet of Meyer lemon oil, tangerine, gooseberry, and white rose petal. The texture and mouthfeel is gorgeous as this delivers ripe flavors of lychee, white grapefruit, ripe nectarine, and suggestions of baking spices. This is simply delicious and impossible to resist right now.”
17-XI 2015 (red) - D.O. Montsant, (Spain)
17- XI means November 17th which is Saint Gregory celebration day.There is a beautiful chapel cave, under natural rock in Falset, Priorat, named Saint Gregory where growers go during harvest.The winemaker wanted to name the wine for Saint Gregory, so he used the date.
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Grapes: 35% Red Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 30% Tempranillo, 10-45 year old vines. Elaboration: Varieties separately fermented. Temperature controlled, long maceration. Wine is aged in American oak casks for about 6 months. Followed by ‘coupage’ and then 3-5 months of aging in bottles. Taste: Dry red wine, with a complex bouquet, mixing the aromas from both the grapes, and the oak casks. Color: Bright medium red.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -International Wine Report, April ’17 gave 91 points to 2015 17-XI. “…The wine begins with earthy aromatics of dried sage, wet stone, bulls blood, black cherry compote, and peat moss. There are ripe flavors of black tea, black truffle, black raspberry liquor, and hints of crushed mint. Layered and polished, this wine will cellar well into the next decade, and potentially more.” -Vinous Media (Explore All Things Wine), Jan ’16 gave 91 points to 2014 17-XI. “Highly perfumed, evoking ripe cherry and blackcurrant that are complemented by slowly emerging aromas of cured meat, lavender, and minerals. Seamless, very nicely concentrated, with smooth tannins lending shape to a very long, fruit-driven finish.”
The estate: MAS D'EN COSME (Montsant D.O., Spain)
Mas d'en Cosme is a Masia or Catalan country house located in Falset (Tarragona, Spain) that belongs to the D.O. Montsant. The estate has 25 acres of old vines, 5 acres of new vines, and the rest are olive, and nut trees. The main varieties are Garnacha and Cariñena with some Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Merlot. The first vintage made from that single vineyard was 1999 and only one wine is produced from those yields, Baboix, which means land of the chamomile.
BABOIX 2015 (red) - D.O. Montsant, (Spain) • • • •
Grapes: 35% Red Garnacha, 35% Cariñena, 10% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Elaboration: Varieties separately fermented. Temperature controlled, long maceration. Once this process is completed, coupage, aging for 12 months in American and French oak barrels, and at least 4-6 months aging in bottles. Taste: Intense nose of ripe fruits, berries, and other wild fruit. Light hint of oak. Full, velvety, well balanced, and delicate in the mouth. Color: Deep Garnet.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -Vinous Media (Explore All Things Wine), Jan ’16 gave 91 points to 2012 Baboix. “Mineral-inflected raspberry and cherry scents are complemented by violet, woodsmoke, and anise. Very fresh, with a nervy spine of acidity adding bite to the long, gentle tannic finish.” -Wine & Spirits Magazine, Feb ’15 gave 94 points to 2008 Baboix, one of the Year’s Best Catalan Wines. “A hallucinatory blend of red and black fruit flavors cascading into layers of earthy mineral notes, this is a Montsant that’s as grand as any Priorat… introducing a delicious wine with generous flavors and textures, driven by the nerve and acidity, that marks the best Catalan reds.”
BUIL 2013/14, (red) - D.O. Toro, (Spain) • •
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Grapes: 100% Tinta del Toro (Tempranillo). Pago del Oro is a 50 year old vineyard, planted with 320 vines per acre. Elaboration: Our Tinta del Toro vines give between 2 and 3 bunches of grapes per vine. Harvested carefully. Double selection process is used to choose the bunches. Whole grapes are moved into 7,000-liter tanks (after de-stemming without pressing). Temperature controlled, long maceration, using dry ice. The wine is aged for at least one year in French oak barrels. Taste: Fruit flavors, full of slight fine woods, and spices. A full-bodied taste with a mature polish, refined tannins, that give a long end. Color: Deep Ruby.
CRITICS AND REVIEWS: -A View From The Cellar, May-June ‘18 gave 90 points to 2014 Buil Toro. “…The bouquet here is deep and nascently complex, offering up scents of red and black raspberries, a touch of fruitcake, beautiful spice elements, a touch of roasted venison, a goodly dollop of soil, wild fennel and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite nicely balanced for its octane, with a rock solid core, sound acids, ripe, firm tannins and very good length and grip on the gently heady finish...” -A View From The Cellar, May-June ’18 gave 91 points to 2013 Buil Toro. “…starting to develop a nice touch of secondary layers in its aromatic constellation, which delivers a fine blend of raspberries, cherries, a touch of spiced meats, a fine base of soil, fresh nutmeg and a very well done framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still fairly tannic, with a fine core of fruit, good soil signature, fine focus and just a whisper of heat poking out on the long and moderately tannic finish. I really like how this is developing on the nose...” -International Wine Report, Dec ’17 gave 92 points to 2014 Buil Toro. “Dark and brooding… with aromatics of black tea, dark chocolate shavings and Turkish coffee. Round and generous, the wine delivers black cherry compote, anise, black tea, and blackberry cobbler flavors, that are supported by a well structured frame. Overall, this is a lovely showing, which will cellar marvelously over the next decade.”