The 2009 Finca Espolla is a blend of 60% Monstrell and 40% Syrah from young vines cultivated on black and volcanic slate soils. Aged for 16 months in new French Allier oak, it has an intense, white fennel, peppermint-tinged, orange sorbet-scented bouquet that could easily come from McClaren Vale. The palate is smooth and harmonious, with fine tannins encasing pure dark plum and blackberry fruit laced with liquorice. However, the oak renders the finish a little generic compared to the sensual aromatics. That should melt away with time to reveal a very well-structured Emporda red. Drink 2014-2019.
My first visit to Emporda was to Castillo Perelada, one of the driving forces behind the resurgence of viticulture in this region, where I undertook a comprehensive tasting of both present and past releases. Wine has been made at the Castillo since medieval times. Then in 1923, wealthy businessman Miguel Mateu bought the estate and he sought to revive winemaking tradition both here and in Emporda itself. I tasted the wines with his grandson Javier Suque. He explained how they are using satellite technology to map the vineyard, to such an extent that it made Bordeaux seem Luddite in comparison. It was an interesting set of wines with notable successes and others that missed the mark, and it was also fascinating to taste a vertical of the “Ex Ex” series of experimental wines that customers can subscribe to. The concept here is not to create the ultimate wine each year, but to try new things, toy with varieties and picking dates, to learn from experience. As you can see, the results I found were hit and miss, but I applaud someone who tries out new things and those that do subscribe are in for a ride. Following this, I was afforded an illuminating vertical of previous vintages, some of which have been rated by The Wine Advocate in previous issues. This vertical led me to one simple conclusion: Finca Garbet works best as a pure Syrah, as was the case in 2005 and 2007. The addition of Cabernet Sauvignon seems to knock it off balance and is distracting. I also tasted through a vertical of Castillo Perlada’s experimental “Ex Ex” series. The first two Ex Ex wines were sourced from the “Malaveina” vineyard.
Importer: Perelada Comercial, NY; www.perladacomercial.com
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