As Caborcas 2011

John Gilman über: As Caborcas

-- John Gilman: -- Gilman: The As Caborcas vineyard is a two hectare parcel of fifty to seventy year-old Mencía vines that are planted on granite soils in terraces sitting at two thousand feet of elevation, overlooking the Bibei River. The wine is fermented entirely with indigenous yeasts and is aged in two thousand liter French oak foudres for twelve months prior to bottling. The 2011 is pretty ripe for high altitude Mencía, coming in at an even fourteen percent, but it is impeccably balanced and truly an exceptional example of this varietal. The deep and very complex nose wafts from the glass in a very classy blend of dark berries, chicory, French roast, a touch of Hermitage-like medicinal tones, graphite, incipient notes of bonfire, a complex base of stony soil tones and a bit of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent soil signature, superb focus and balance and a long, moderately tannic and classy finish. There is still a bit of oak tannins on the backend that need to be integrated into the wine, but this is only a question of age, rather than balance, and there is no question that they will be absorbed nicely with a bit more bottle age. Other than the need for a bit more oak integration, the wine is already quite accessible, despite it being still quite youthful, and it is quite tasty to drink already. That said, it will clearly be far better with four to six years of bottle age and should easily last thirty-plus years in a cool cellar. Great juice. 94/100