Abadia Retuerta Cuvee El Palomar Tempranillo, Sardon De Duero, Spain

天使之堤酒莊帕洛瑪特釀丹魄紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：750

They resumed producing one of their earlier wines in 2017, and the 2019 Cuvée Palomar has finesse and power. It was produced with a blend of 52% Tempranillo, 26% Garnacha, 20% Graciano and 2% Malbec that achieved high ripeness in this warm year, hitting the scale at 15% alcohol, but with low pH of 3.49. It matured for 14 months in oak barrels, 25% of them new. It's spicy, smoky, tender, expressive and complex, with no varietal footprint; it's Mediterranean, balsamic and aromatic with candied fruit, notes of herbs and sweet spices. It's powerful but fresh and has mellow acidity. 14,563 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022.

The blend for the 2018 Cuvée Palomar is different from the older wines and from the 2017 that I also tasted. This is 40% Garnacha, 40% Tempranillo and 20% Malbec, a blend driven by the conditions of the year. It's also ripe, but like I saw in other wines where I could compare 2017 and 2018, the 2018 has more balance and freshness and a fresher palate with very fine tannins and long, clean finish. The oak is also more integrated into the wine. 1,467 bottles were filled in March 2021 after two years in barrique.

Cuvée Palomar, one of their earlier wines is being produced again from the 2017 vintage. The 2017 Cuvée Palomar is a very different blend from the wines of yesteryear (with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot)—it's 40% Garnacha, 35% Tempranillo and 25% Graciano, as the long-cycle varieties like Garnacha and Graciano behaved well in this warmer year. The wine is ripe at 15% alcohol, but it comes through as balanced, creamier than the 2018 tasted next to it and with a lactic touch. It has a soft palate and mellow acidity coupled with very fine tannins that give it a silky mouthfeel. It matured for 24 months in French oak barrels, 25% of them new. This first vintage produced only 1,541 bottles. It was bottled in January 2020.

They are releasing some magnums of the 2004 Cuvée Palomar that was bottled in December 2006, so it has had time to develop aromatic complexity and polish its tannins in bottle. As is often the case with library releases and special bottlings, the price is very high, 250€ for a magnum in Spain. This was a 50/50 blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from the vineyards that delivered more delicate and elegant wines in search of aromatic complexity, freshness and finesse. I'd say the wine has reached its objective and shows developed aromas, complexity and elegance, quite classical in style, with very integrated oak and a velvety texture. It has passed the test of time and is ready for prime-time drinking now. At the time, they produced 890 magnums, but I'm not sure how many still remain today.

Dense, smoky oak nose, with black fruit and a touch of bell pepper. The palate texture is rich and positive, but the oak really has the fruit buried. Will have definite appeal to lovers of heavily oaked wines, but the fruit—so subdued now—could have difficulty surfacing.——M.M.(8/1/2000)—— 89