BUYING GUIDE - Wine Enthusiast Magazine

and mildly complex. Drink now through 2014. Domaine
Select Wine Estates. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $30
89
La Universal 2007 Venus (Montsant). This
opens with gritty aromas of mineral, char, mushroom,
leather and berry fruits. It feels cutting and juicy,
but it has the body to handle it. The flavors of berry and
cherry are bright and tight, while chocolate and earthy
notes reside in the background. Toasty, dark and tough
on the finish, drink this Syrah-Cariginan blend now
through 2014. Domaine Select Wine Estates. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $65
88
La Universal 2009 Dido (Montsant). Gritty
aromas of olive, herbs and charred berry give
this Montsant wine a Chilean-like bouquet. The palate
is wide, blunt and tannic, with blackberry and stewed
plum flavors. It mellows out on the finish, with earth
notes. It’s solid and sturdy, but feels tough. A blend of
Garnacha, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Domaine
Select Wine Estates. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $30
88
La Universal 2006 Venus (Montsant).
Tight aromas of cherry and cassis come with orange
peel and licorice scents. It feels edgy and acidic
on the palate, but there’s enough body and fruit to absorb
the acids. Tastes like schisty licorice, black fruits
and spice, with a choppy, tannic, medium-long finish.
Drink this Syrah-Carignan blend now. Domaine Select
Wine Estates. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $65
86
Xabec 2008 Red (Montsant). This is big and
bacony on the nose, with herbal berry aromas
and notes of spice and more. It feels lifted and nervy,
with vital, almost volatile acidity and resiny, oak-led flavors
of vanilla and black fruit. This is minty, spicy and
aggressive on the finish. Frontier Wine Imports. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $24
NAVARRA
92
Finca Albret 2007 La Viña de Mi Madre
Reserva (Navarra). Lush, composed and
fresh on the bouquet, with blackberry and perfect
prune aromas. This is mouthfilling and smooth, with a
firm, flush tannic structure and flavors of coconut, lemon
rind, herbal black fruit and red berry. It’s long and
supple late, and it’s arguably one of the best Cabernet
Sauvignons you’ll find from Spain and Navarra. European
Heritage Wines. Editors’ Choice. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $50
90
Finca Albret 2008 Juan de Albret Crianza
(Navarra). Gets rolling with a blitz of dark berry,
cedar, bramble and graphite aromas. It feels punchy
for being a dark-style red, with meaty black-fruit flavors.
On the palate, it turns juicier and more rugged as the
acidity steps up, ultimately finishing thick but catchy,
with peppery spice. A blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet
and Merlot. European Heritage Wines. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $35
90
Finca Albret 2007 Reserva (Navarra). This
reserva blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Cab-
ernet Sauvignon offers aromas of lead pencil and mossy
berry. The lively palate deals coconut, spice, lemon peel
and wild berry flavors. This is a powerful wine that will
benefit from airing. European Heritage Wines. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $40
88
Marco Real 2007 Crianza Tempranillo-
Cabernet Sauvignon (Navarra). Earthy
and leathery smelling, this has briary, almost cheesyberry
and oak aromas. This feels full, and it evolves with
airing. Flavors of herbal black fruit join notes of tobacco,
peppery spice and mint that carry onto the finish.
A blend of 60% Tempranillo and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon,
with the Cab standing out. Cabernet Corporation.
—M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $15
88
Viña Zorzal 2010 Viñas Viejas Garnacha
(Navarra). Jammy berry aromas come with a
dense coating of milk chocolate. But in the mouth, it’s
snappy and juicy, with enough body to handle the acids.
It tastes fresh, pointed and zesty, with plum and berry
flavors that finish full and grabby. A very good old-vine
Garnacha for the price. Classical Wines. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $14
86
Castillo de Monjardin 2007 Deyo Merlot
(Navarra). This is stewy smelling, with
tomato leaf and raisiny notes. It feels dense and mature,
with mild acidity creating jammy raspberry and plum
flavors along with a lot of barrel spice. The oak flavor is
dominant on the finish. Winebow. —M.S.
abv: 13.5% Price: $18
85
Bodegas Artazu 2010 Artazuri Garnacha
(Navarra). This is bulky on the nose, with
meaty, rubbery aromas. It feels more snappy and acidic
on the tongue, with zesty acids pushing tomato, red
plum and herb flavors. Long and steady on the finish,
with additional tomato-based tang. Folio Fine Wine
Partners. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $12
PENEDÈS
93
Pardas 2007 Aspiru (Penedès). Dry,
earthy and leathery on the nose, with finely
etched aromas of raspberries, plums and other red
berries. This feels fresh and pure, with balance, weight,
tannic grip and perfect acidity. It’s bright, forward and
juicy, with elevated flavors of plums, berries and peppery
spices. A blend of 85% Cab Franc and 15% Cab
Sauvignon. Vinea Imports. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $50
92
Torres 2007 Grans Muralles (Penedès).
This five-grape blend is harmonious, with aromas
of sweet spice, ripe berry, cherry, licorice and mineral.
It’s racy, deep and powerful, with dark berry, black
plum and oaky, spicy flavors. It’s long, elegant and potent
on the finish. Drink through 2018. Dreyfus, Ashby
& Co. —M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $109
91
Pardas 2007 Negre Franc (Penedès).
Punchy and pure on the bouquet, this has
nicely presented blackberry and cassis aromas that are
offset by a whiff of dried cheese and leather. It feels
snappy, fresh and firm, with toasty, mildly-spicy plum,
berry and toasted flavors. Lengthy, juicy and healthy
on the finish. Drink now through 2015. Vinea Imports.
—M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $25
89
Ferré I Catasús 2007 CaMerlot (Penedès).
Dense and somewhat roasted on the bouquet,
with tarry, leathery aromas. This feels good but angular,
with sheering acidity, firm tannins and solid flavors of
red berry, plum, herb and pepper. It’s lengthy but a little
hot and grabby on the finish. A blend of 50% Cabernet
and 50% Merlot. M Imports, LLC. —M.S.
abv: 13% Price: $15
PRIORAT
90
Cellers Unió 2008 Señorio de Convey
(Priorat). This is generous and ripe, with spicy
black-fruit aromas. It feels full but shows elegance with
its depth and layering. Flavors of blackberry, plum, tobacco
and oak stick out on the palate. It’s long, sturdy,
leathery and somewhat complex on the finish. Drink
now through 2016. Monsieur Touton Selection Ltd.
—M.S.
abv: 14% Price: $16
90
Vall Llach 2008 Embruix (Priorat). This is
nicely done given that 2008 was a subpar year
throughout Spain. The bouquet deals full berry and
cherry aromas with notes of exotic spices and perfume.
It feels thick and creamy but polished, with deep blackberry
and cassis flavors. Jammy almost to the point of
raisiny, but with such deep fruit it works. Folio Fine
Wine Partners. —M.S.
abv: 15% Price: $25
86
Scala Dei 2008 Prior (Priorat). Bacon,
rubber and berry fruit aromas comprise
the bouquet. Feels crisp on the palate,
with roasted berry flavors and herb and pepper
accents. It feels warm on the finish, with herbal leanings
and some roughness. Aveniù Brands, Inc. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $27
RIBERA DEL DUERO
92
Alidis 2005 VS (Ribera del Duero). Oaky
and superconcentrated, with shoe polish and
other dark aromas forming a cap on the bouquet. Airing
reveals a rugged, fully oaked and tannic wine, with
baked berry, baking spice, raisin, syrup and chocolate
flavors all wrapped up in a chewy, chunky frame. Sweet,
rich and saturated stuff. Drink now or hold through
2017. Hidalgo Imports, LLC. —M.S.
abv: 15% Price: $100
90
Legaris 2005 Reserva (Ribera del Duero).
With aromas of warm earth, cedar, tobacco
and meaty black fruit, this covers the basics of Ribera. It
feels plump, round and maybe a bit flat, with rich, ripe
blackberry, prune and spice flavors. It’s harmonious and
full-bodied on the finish. Aveniù Brands, Inc. —M.S.
abv: 14.5% Price: $36
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