2010 Spain

Álvaro Palacios and Ricardo Perez have worked hard since 1998 to build the reputation of their Bierzo vineyards, using Priorat as a role model and Mencía, rather than Garnacha, as a calling card. The modus operandi is not dissimilar however, with organic viticulture, minimal intervention and neither fining not filtration employed.

The result is pure and powerful; haunting aromatics lead onto a persuasive and ripe mid-palate, dominated by blackcurrant, with hints of charcuterie and liquorice to add to the not inconsiderable fascination of this wine.

Bierzo's principal grape is the obscure, indigenous red variety Mencía. While Bierzo is a relatively new wine appellation (a DO since 1989), it has a wealth of very old vines, planted on extremely steep hillsides, and in this respect it much resembles the Priorat region. Alvaro Palacios, with his nephew Ricardo Perez (who also spent time in Bordeaux), established Descendientes de J. Palacios in 1998 in the village of Villafranca del Bierzo.

This is almost the definitive expression of Mencía, its vines perched on a stark vineyard of pure schist, its wine distinctively aromatic, with a Cabernet-Franc-like garrigue and lavender freshness at the front of the palate, then real dark fruit concentration, fine new-oak tannins providing real backbone and support to the generously ripe palate.

‘La Faraona’ is a wine from a single parcel of vines on the highest hill in Corullon, Bierzo, scaling 855 metres. The vines are south-east facing and have an average age of 65 years. The wine is bottled without being filtered and this adds to its depth and character.

The nose is mineral but there is a note of damp heather and a leathery, animal character which provides a nice contrast with the up-front red fruit. The palate is very dense and concentrated which bodes well for those of a ‘hoarding’ persuasion as a couple of years in the cellar are certainly necessary if this wine is to offer-up its true expression and stomp, flamenco-style across your taste buds.
Nicholas Stewart - Wine Buying Department

Pagos Viejos is a continually evolving wine, its grapes sourced from the oldest and the best vines from this increasingly extensive estate. Grapes are also used from the single vineyards and one can detect their benevolent influence; ripeness from Poza, minerality from El Carretil and aromatics from the Valdeginés. The whole is more than the sum of the parts: a wine of incredible complexity and subtle nuance.

2010 was an unusual vintage for Artadi, its profile marked by seasonal variations which are, it seems, becoming increasingly familiar in Europe, namely a very warm spring and autumn and a relatively lacklustre early summer period. After the cold winter of 2009-2010, with above average rain following in the milder spring, the early flowering of 2010 was well nourished and watered, just as well as later on there were real risks of hydric stress in the dog days of late August.

The conditions resulted in a longer than usual ripening season with grapes that were relatively ripe, with higher sugar levels than normal, lower levels of acidity and higher tannins. The structural integrity of the wines is very impressive and they do not lack for definition, mid-palate weight and tension on the finish.  These are, as ever, impeccable wines, which should drink earlier than the blockbuster 2009s.

(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, October 2011)

Ungrafted vines from fantastically unpromising sandy single-vineyard soils are the source of one of Spain’s most exciting jewels, named, appropriately enough, after the pater familias of this very gifted family. 18 months in French oak has been worn relatively lightly with the cool elegant fruit already focused, taut tannins in sharp relief and natural high altitude acidity providing refreshing counterpoint. 
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

A blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot and aged in oak for 17 months, the nose of this wine is simultaneously mineral and fruit-laden. Notes of raspberry, black pepper, balsamic and eucalypt are all present and whilst currently restrained, there is a balance and harmony which given time will blossom spectacularly. The palate is silky with well integrated acidity, freshness and persistence. The finish is lengthy and elegant, a wonderful expression from this increasingly sought out address.
Nick Stewart -  Fine Wine Team  

This vineyard, located at 700 metres, really shows off the potential of this Spanish Mourvèdre. 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are added, affording depth and complexity. At its core the wine has damsons, coffee beans and hints of smoke. It is fantastically structured and excellent value. Drink 2012-2016.
(Simon Field MW, Berrys’ Spain Buyer)

The 2010 Flor de Pingus is raised in 40% to 50% new French oak (Darnajou and Taransaud). It has a superb bouquet that is taut at first, but unfolds beautifully with very pure small dark cherries, cassis, orange blossom and a faint, attractive note of strawberry cheesecake. The palate is medium-bodied with sumptuous, plush tannins counterbalanced by the crisp thread of acidity. It has great clarity and tension with vibrant allspice and white pepper notes towards the finish that closes down a little, suggesting that it will need two or three years in bottle. Excellent.
Neal Martin - Wine Advocate - eRobertParker.com #202 Aug 2012

Valbuena 2010 has been aged for 31 months in a combination of cask and barrel, the latter of which are both French and American in provenance. Further bottle age before release has ensured that a latent harmony has been amplified, nurtured by Javier Ausás, whose winemaking is deferential above all to the what goes on in the vineyards,  now minutely divided into parcels, all of which are vinified separately. Nuance is all and power defers to elegance. 
The near opaque core cedes to a lively iridescent rim and a generous open nose which marries Asian spice and dark dark fruit….the palate is  more reserved than one would have thought, with dignified floral notes and very finely poised tannins underlining a near-Burgundian purity that is born of day-night temperature variations during the growing season and a clearly  Burgundian sensibility in the winery.
Simon Field MW - Spain Buyer

Peter Sisseck, the consultant winemaker at Hacienda Monasterio, sees 2010 in the same vein as 2012 and 2008, that is to say as an elegant , ‘Atlantic’ vintage, a perceived virtue in such a climate and one which allows the wine full aromatic expression. A blend of 80% Tinto Fino and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has an attractive nose of violets and eucalypt and a palate which is soft and rich, courtesy, in no small measure, of the 20 month ageing in French oak.
Simon Field MW -  Wine Buyer

Of all the dramatis personae responsible for the resurrection of the reputation of the Bierzo vineyard, none deserves more credit than the seemingly indefatigable Alvaro Palacios.

Here we have slate vineyards on steep slopes, with 60+ year-old Mencia vines; raw and rugged materials for a rich chocolaty, chewy powerful wine, which has been aged for over a year in 80% new French oak. With a nose of lavender, cherry and raspberry, the wine is rich and layered, plush and polished, its tannins quite tight still as one would expect, but promising a fine development over the medium term.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

The 1945 vineyard now hosts a mini-museum in the modest barn-like building which doubles as an almost perfect location for tasting and lunch for pickers and visitors alike. The gentle sloping vines work hard beneath the surface, deep roots and exceptionally deep subsoil feeding the legend. The 2010 is still a little reticent on the nose, but the palate is already magisterial in its complexity, the purity of fruit at its core lending an almost ethereal character. The finish is long, finely etched and extremely persistent.

2010 was an unusual vintage for Artadi, its profile marked by seasonal variations which are, it seems, becoming increasingly familiar in Europe, namely a very warm spring and autumn and a relatively lacklustre early summer period. After the cold winter of 2009-2010, with above average rain following in the milder spring, the early flowering of 2010 was well nourished and watered, just as well as later on there were real risks of hydric stress in the dog days of late August.

The conditions resulted in a longer than usual ripening season with grapes that were relatively ripe, with higher sugar levels than normal, lower levels of acidity and higher tannins. The structural integrity of the wines is very impressive and they do not lack for definition, mid-palate weight and tension on the finish.  These are, as ever, impeccable wines, which should drink earlier than the blockbuster 2009s.

Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, October 2011

Javier’s ambition has been to seek a wine to ‘leave the lips purple’ and he has certainly succeeded here with this amazingly powerful example, an essential statement of low-yield Garnacha, with an alcohol level that is not for the faint-hearted. Old vines have, of course, tempered the worst indulgences of the fierce sun and the ripe damson liqueur de cassis fruit cedes to ripe fruit tannins and a firm finish. Pura, however, is not a misnomer, given the wine’s harmonious structure and whistle-clean finish. 
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

Javier Continente’s vineyards are located south of Zaragoza on the frontier bad-lands between Navarra and Aragon; his vines nourished by the River Ebro, several miles south-east of their Rioja heart-land. In the sun-baked warmth sun of the Navarra wine region, La Calandria is crafting some of the finest expressions of pure Garnacha we have seen. Old vines left to grow organically manage the intense heat and produce wines with rich, fruity flavours and a notable quality.

I’m a huge fan of this wine having enjoyed many back vintages over the last few years. The 2010 is a stupendous effort, a wine which comprises power, depth and concentrated fruit, all finely wrapped up with a sensational texture. Displaying aromas of forest fruits, allspice, and a sweet earthy character, the palate delivers a framework of refined oak and broad, ripe tannins. A mouth filling richness of flavour meets the mid-palate combining flavours of damson, crushed blackberries and balsamic, held in tension by a finite acidity. Layered and complex, I have great confidence this may even surpass the fantastic 2001 in 10 years’ time. Superb from magnum with a bright future ahead, recommended drinking from 2020 – 2045+
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager