Spain is on fire -- great wines!

Exciting New Spanish Wines

2006 Vall Llach Idus Priorat....$34.99

Compare to the Lowest price on Wine-Searcher....$41.99

The purple-colored 2006 Idus is made up of 40% Carinena, 20% Merlot, 15% Garnacha, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah aged in a mix of new and used French oak for 14 months. It reveals a fragrant nose of cedar, spice box (nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon), mineral, black cherry, and licorice. Structured and a bit tightly wound on the palate, it has plenty of extract, savory flavors, excellent balance, and a lengthy finish. Give it 4-6 years in the cellar and drink it from 2014 to 2026.

Rated 92/100 The Wine Advocate

2005 Vall Llach Vall Llach Priorat....$49.99

Compare to the Lowest price on Wine-Searcher....$75.59

The flagship 2005 Vall-Llach is composed of 65% Carinena, 15% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot aged for 12 months in new French oak. Many of the Carinena vines for this cuvee are pre-phylloxera. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up a splendid aromatic array including pain grille, slate, mushroom, espresso, garrigue, blueberry, and black currant. Opulent, full-bodied, and rich, this pedal to the metal Priorat possesses 8-10 years of aging potential. The winery claims it can be cellared for up to 50 years; that could well prove true although many of us will not be around to find out or our delay of gratification will have long given out.

Rated 96+/100 The  Wine Advocate

2009 Clos Erasmus “Laurel” Priorat...$49.99

he 2009 Laurel, tasted from a barrel sample, is a more masculine, brooding effort with aromas of minerals and black fruits that play it close to the vest. On the palate it has superb volume, great focus, impeccable balance, and a lengthy finish. In short, all the right stuff is present requiring only a bit of patience by those fortunate enough to find a few bottles.
The Clos I Terrasses Laurel cuvee is essentially the second wine of Clos Erasmus. It is sourced from the estate’s younger vines as well as those failing to make the grade for Erasmus based on taste. The result is one of the finest values in the DO of Priorat. The wine consists of 65% Garnacha, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah aged for 16 months in one-year-old barrels.

Rated 94-97/100 Wine Advocate

Only 3 barrels made!!

" The Nit de Nin is the personal project of Ester Nin, vineyard manager of Clos Erasmus. The tiny production consists of 3 barrels" -- Wine Advocate 

2008 Nit de Nin....$84.99

The 2008 Nit de Nin is a glass-coating opaque purple color with an expressive nose of liquid minerality, white flowers, Asian spices, black cherry, and black plum. On the palate tapenade and licorice flavors emerge along with enough ripe tannin to support 5-6 years of additional cellaring. This lengthy effort will offer a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2028.
The Nit de Nin is the personal project of Ester Nin, vineyard manager of Clos Erasmus. The tiny production consists of 3 barrels sourced from 80- to 100-year-old vines of the Mas d’En Cacador vineyard in the village of Porrera

Rated 95/100 The Wine Advocate

Only 4 barrels made!!

2007 Nit de Nin....$84.99 

The 2007 Nit de Nin is a blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Carinena aged for 18 months in 65% new French oak. Dense purple-colored, it gives up a soaring and complex bouquet of Asian spices, mineral, incense, espresso, black cherry, and plum. Silky-textured while combining elegance with power, this full-bodied effort will evolve for another 3-4 years and offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2027. 

Rated 95/100 The Wine Advocate

2009 Planetes de Nin....$44.99

Familia Nin-Ortiz’s 2009 Planetes de Nin is sourced from a contiguous 11 acre parcel all planted on llicorella and farmed biodynamically. The wine is made up of 70% Garnacha and 30% Carignan aged in foudre. It is purple in color with an intriguing nose of dates and figs (reminiscent of a Fig Newton) as well as mineral, lavender, and black cherry. On the palate it reveals an elegant, racy personality with enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. It is approachable now and will continue to provide pleasure through 2021.

Rated 92/100 The Wine Advocate

2009 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi...$76.99

The 2009 Finca Dofi is an exotic, slinky beauty with tremendous structure, proportion, and length. It will benefit greatly from 8-10 years of cellaring.   Alvaro Palacios established his namesake winery in 1989. The flagship L’Ermita made its debut in 1993. Finca Dofi and L’Ermita vineyards are farmed biodynamically. All of the wines are bottled without filtration. In 2008 Palacios was the last grower in Priorat to harvest, waiting out rains that diluted other growers’ fruit. It appears that 2009 was a slightly more successful vintage for Alvaro Palacios (and most Priorat producers) than was 2008. All of the 2009s were tasted from barrel samples at the Bodega in January 2011.

Rated 94-97/100 The Wine Advocate