Simon thinks that there is little doubt that Spain should be a ‘go to’ country for wines that punch above their weight. That said, it takes time to identify over-performing estates. We just took up the chance acquire a parcel of the 2012 Planetes de Nin, Familia Nin-Ortiz which we can offer at £135 per 6 bottle case in bond.
We have been looking more closely at Priorat for some time now. This region, situated in Catalonia, is renowned for producing powerful reds primarily from terraced vineyards planted at altitudes ranging from 100 to 700 metres above sea level. Even in such a relatively modest sized region, there is considerable variation in style. Priorat is a region that is still evolving, still developing its own identity; styles range from the bold to the elegant dependent on exact vineyard location and winemaking style.
Our recent tastings have identified that various estates excelled in the impressive 2012 vintage. 2012 was a warm, dry vintage characterised by drought-like conditions towards the end of the summer. The vintage was rescued by isolated rains in October, a little prior to harvest, which spurred the vines on through the final stages of ripening. The quality of the fruit in 2012 has impressed greatly as it is rare in hot vintages to retain balancing acidity – all too often wines from hotter vintages can impress on account of their weight rather than harmony. Not so in 2012, a vintage in which many wines retained far greater freshness. Carinena (the Spanish name for the French variety ‘Carignan’) can deal admirably with hot conditions and played a vital role in many of the blends in 2012.
One of the most impressive 2012s we have tasted comes from an estate owned by leading winemaker Ester Nin and Carlos Ortiz. Two wines are made from small parcels of vineyard on the famous licorella schistose soils peculiar to Priorat: firstly the headlining ‘Nit de Nin’ made from fruit taken from low yielding vines aged between 80 and 100 years, and secondly, ‘Planetes de Nin’ which is widely become perceived as something of a bargain. Each wine is made in tiny quantities and, in fact, of the higher production ‘Planetes’ only 9000 bottles are produced each year.
The Planetes, which we offer here, is a blend of 70% Garnacha (Grenache) and 30% Carinena (Carignan) made from vines averaging 80 years in age (and they call these younger vines next to those employed for 'Nit de Nin')! What impressed us most here is the elegance of the style; there is nothing overblown or overtly heady here, just wonderfully pure, streamlined, lightly spiced dark red fruits with a remarkably silky textural impression for a wine of this level.
2012 Planetes de Nin, Familia Nin-Ortiz
94 points, Luis Guitterez on erobertparker.com
£135 per 6 bottle case in bond
I was thoroughly impressed by the 2012 Planetes de Nin, a bright ruby-colored, fragrant Garnacha-based red with some 30% Cariñena from the Planetes vineyard in Porrera. It has a beautiful floral nose of violets and lilies, with showy aromas of blood orange peel, wild berries and oriental spices in a Vosne-Romanée way, very Burgundian overall and truly captivating. The palate is ultra-sleek, silky with very refined tannins and a subtle minerality that adds to the freshness and makes the wine very focused and precise. This is so different from previous vintages, so much more elegant and focused, pure and elegant. This should age in bottle nicely, but it will be very difficult to resist. And it's a very good value. 9,000 bottles. Drinking 2015 to 2020.
Stocks of this impressive Priorat are understandably limited, so please let us know of your interest at your earliest convenience. Should you be interested in the ‘Nit de Nin’, please let us know as we have managed to secure a handful of cases at £225 per 6 in bond.