Seit gestern stehen auf Robert Parkers Website »
The Wine Advocate« die Verkostungsnotizen der Ausgabe 206/2013 online. In einem Verkostungsblock befasst sich der Spanien-Spezialist Neil Martin mit verschiedenen Weinen aus „Vino de Pago”-Weingüter bzw. dem dazugehörigen Umfeld. Nachfolgend schreibt er über den ›
El Rincón Tinto 2007‹ von
Pagos de Familia, den er mit 92/100 Punkten bewertet, im Original:
„Just out of interest, I also tasted the ›2007 El Rincon‹ Garnacha (from
Garnacha Tintoerera), which comes under
D.O. Madrid. Only 2,000 bottles were produced, and it stayed for three years in oak. It has a very well-defined bouquet of blackberry, raspberry leaf, limestone and a touch of seaweed. The palate is medium-bodied with a succulent entry. There is a crisp, citric seam of acidity, harmonious in the mouth with good depth and fruit intensity on the finish that is surprisingly backward. This could easily evolve into something very interesting over the next decade. Drink 2014-2022.
I was able to slot in a last minute visit to Dominio de Valdepusa in Montes de Toledo on my way back to Madrid, an essential visit given the history of this estate. The castle of Malpica has belonged to the Carlos Falco family since 1292, and it was granted the very first “Pago” denomination in 2002. It is an enormous estate – from the entrance to the winery takes around ten minutes to drive past the beautiful Moorish landscape and olive groves. There are presently 52 hectares under vine, mainly international grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (both introduced in 1974), Syrah and Petit Verdot. Their wines have been overseen by such luminaries as Dr. Richard Smart, Emile Peynaud and Michel Rolland. It was a pleasure to meet proprietor Carlos Falco Fernandez de Cordoba and his daughter Xandra, along with their oenologist, Julio Mourelle. Carlos, who graduated from UC Davis, was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Vinos de Pago denomination and was instrumental in promoting international varieties in the region. It was also interesting to speak at length with Mourelle. “I am feeling less afraid of making mistakes,” he explained. “We don’t like the wines to be over-oaked at all – only one-quarter to one-third are new barrels. We are learning more and more about irrigation and achieving fine pH levels just by working empirically with hydrometers.” Overall, this was a very impressive set of wines, quite modern in style but beautifully crafted.”
[af]
