[ 2010 Espectacle del Montsant ]
PRODUCER PROFILE | Espectacle
PHOTO GALLERY | Virtual Tour of Espectacle
PRIVATE IMPORT: Purchase by the Case of 6 Bottles
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[ Farming & Vineyards ]
2010 Espectacle is a 100% Garnacha red grown in the Montsant DO of Spain – adjacent to the celebrated wines of Priorat – and is owned by Réné and Isabelle Barbier (Owners of Clos Mogador in Priorat), Fernando and Marta Zamora (Oenologists and teachers at University of Tarragona), and Charlotte and Christopher Cannan (Owners of Clos Figueras in Priorat). Here, on the highest elevation site in the appellation, we find the source for what has become a true “nectar of the gods”.
Photos begin to tell the story, but until you stand atop this mountainside vineyard, it is impossible to fully comprehend the steepness and elevation of this one-of-a-kind plot. Elevation and ancient vines – more than 100 years old – conspire to produce one of the greatest examples of Grenache/Garnacha made anywhere. Grapes from this 5 acre plot are harvested by hand and treated with the nurturing care only employed in the production of the most expensive and collectible wines in the world. The vineyards are managed and farmed by Rene Barbier’s team, from Clos Mogador.
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[ Winemaking & Aging ]
Following harvest, grapes are transported to winery in shallow boxes, and chilled for 24 hours in a cold store at 4°C. First selection is carried out by hand, then destemming followed by a second round of selection which is carried out by vibrating sorting table. Maceration (soaking of the juice on skins) and slow cool fermentation take place over 30 days in a single large French oak circular vat. Following fermentation, the 2010 Espectacle was left to rest and age for 14 to 16 months further in the same oak vat. This wine ranks amongst the most sought-after and tightly allocated in our entire line-up; only 5,000 bottles are produced each year and fewer than 15 cases come to the Ontario market.
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[ Price ]
BOTTLE: $199
CASE: $1194
BUY THIS WINE
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[ Technical Specs ]
AVAILABILITY:
Consignment Warehouse / By the case
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
BOTTLE: 750mL
Case Pack: 6 x 750mL
GRAPES: 100% Grenache
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[ Recipes & Food Pairings ]
Moorish Pork Chops w/ Herbed White Beans – RECIPE
Puerto Rican Veal Stew with Polenta – RECIPE
Slow-Smoked Southern-Style BBQ Lamb Ribs – RECIPE
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[ Tasting Notes ]
“Living up to its name, the 2010 Espectacle del Montsant, sourced from three hectares of centenary Garnacha and aged in a 4,500-litre oak foudre, has a really spectacular nose, with such perfume that it feels almost like a white, with notes of lilies, rose petals, lychee, orange blossom, candied violets and blood oranges. The palate is akin to chewing into maraschino cherries, full of energy, with musky flavors, a great, persistent aftertaste lingering in your mouth for minutes. Despite its 15% alcohol, the wine feels medium-bodied and easy to drink, it makes you long for the next sip. A wine to smell for hours, as it develops and changes like a chameleon in the glass: black olives, tree bark, kirsch, fennel, orange skin, violets, malt, and smoke. A superb, world-class Garnacha: spectacular! 5,500 bottles produced. Drink now-2025. ”
98/100 Points
Luis Gutierrez / eRobertParker.com
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