El Nido - El Nido 2016

Anbau: naturnah

Ausbau: 24 Monate Barrique

Flaschenreifung: mehrere Monate

Inhalt: 75 cl

The eponymous 2016 El Nido is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with 30% Monastrell, the reverse percentages of Clio. The vinification and élevage are the same: it starts in stainless steel with neutral yeasts and finishes in French and American oak barriques, where the wine matured for some 23 months. I was quite pleasantly surprised by this 2016, as I expected a weaker wine that would show the élevage more, but I found a juicy palate and the oak was quite integrated. The tannins are fine-grained, and the palate reveals flavors of sweet spices and dark chocolate. This is not that far from the 2015. I tasted from two bottles—one just opened and one that had been uncorked 24 hours before—and the wine showed better after 24 hours, which gave me an idea about how the wine can (slowly) evolve in bottle. And you can decant it in advance if you want to drink it now. 5,500 bottles were filled in September 2018. 95/100 (04.2019)

Deep, bright-hued violet color. Intensely perfumed, spice- and mineral-accented cherry and dark berry preserve, candied violet and fruitcake aromas, along with a sexy floral topnote and a subtle touch of smoky minerality. Broad, seamless and alluringly sweet, offering palate-staining black/blue fruit, floral pastille, star anise and cola flavors that convey a compelling mix of depth and energy. Puts on weight with air while maintaining vivacity and finishes extremely long and sappy, showing youthful tannic grip and an emphatic echo of juicy blue fruit. (aged in new French/American oak barrels for two years) 96/100 (01.2019)