3×2 Spaanse toppers met 94 Parker-punten

The third vintage that I tasted next to the previous ones was the 2021 Transatlántica, cropped from a cooler year with a big snowstorm (Filomena), but the rest of the season was warm and dry. They used 50% full clusters for the fermentation in concrete with indigenous yeasts and matured the wine in 2,000-liter oak vats for around 14 months. It has similar parameters as the other vintages I tasted next to it, with good ripeness and around 14.5% alcohol and very good freshness, denoted by the low pH (3.3). It feels very young and vibrant, with very fine tannins. The difference with the other vintages here is the quality of the tannins, which are finer and more elegant, making it approachable. It has a combination of flowers, fruit, spice and rocks, with fine granularity. It comes from slate soils. 3,800 bottles were filled in December 2022.

Toen Jay S. Miller in 2011 voor Robert Parker's Wine Advocate jaargang 2007 van de 'Selectus' beoordeelde, liet hij doorschemeren dat de wijn nog een paar jaar in de kelder mocht rijpen. Dat is precies er is gebeurd. De 'Selectus' is nu volledig volwassen en op zijn hoogtepunt qua drinkplezier. Syrah, cabernet, merlot en petit verdot hebben elkaar perfect gevonden. De kalksteen laat zijn kenmerkende, minerale spoor achter en het hout brengt harmonie. Dit is het resultaat van uitstekende wijnbereiding en een strenge selectie. De naam 'Selectus' past goed. In feite is deze wijn alleen gevinifieerd in de jaren die uitmuntende kwaliteit leveren, en in 2007 was alles goed.

The Bodega’s flagship is called Selectus: no 2006 was made but the 2007 Selectus was worth the wait. A blend of 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, it was aged for 18 months in new French oak. Smoky oak, pencil lead, Asian spices, incense, lavender, and assorted black fruits lead to a suave, dense, succulent offering that features outstanding volume and a 45-second finish. Give it another 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it from 2014 to 2027.

Colour: Cherry, garnet rim; Aroma: ripe fruit, balsamic herbs, cocoa bean, earthy notes; Flavour: powerful, spicy, long, balanced

The old-vine 2022 El Puño Garnacha was produced with grapes from vineyards on slate soils. It fermented in tank, but they moved away from punch-downs in 2022 to avoid too much tannin extraction and favored gentle pump-overs instead, gently wetting the cap. Fifty percent of the wine aged in used, well-seasoned 500- and 650-liter oak barrels. It's ripe without excess at 14.5% alcohol with good freshness and acidity, coming through as serious, elegant and powerful, with notes of violets and orange peel, concentrated, tasty with integrated oak. 7,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024.

This has a nose of sweet cherries and blackberries with a touch of stony austerity. The palate is full-bodied but balanced, combining freshness with fruit warmth while maintaining harmony. Fine-grained tannins frame the fruit. Drink now or hold.