Neal Martin, Mitarbeiter des renommierten Weinmagazins »
The Wine Advocate« verkostete für die Ausgabe 206/2013 auch
Pagos de Familias Weine. Den ›
Dominio de Valdepusa AAA 2010‹ aus der
D.O. Dominio de Valdepusa bewertet er mit hohen 95/100 Punkten. Nachfolgend schreibt der Verkoster im Original:
„The ›2010 Dominio de Valdepusa AAA‹ is very deep in color with a lucid purple hue. The bouquet is very intense and opulent, with small dark cherries, kirsch, a touch of fresh prune and fig that is well-defined. With ten minutes in the glass, it develops an intriguing brine scent. The palate is medium-bodied with rich, ripe tannins, and mineral-laden dark black fruit, but the finish retains superb brightness and clarity. This is the finest vintage that I have tasted. Drink 2015-2030.
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.”
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