Community Tasting Notes (96) Avg Score: 89.0 points

  • 100% Monastrell from Jumilla. Fermented and macerated for 25 days with the skins in stainless steel tanks. Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. 15% alcohol.

    Somewhat evolved and slightly hazy pomegranate color with a mature rusty hue. Evolved, dark-toned and rather mature nose with aromas of earthy spices, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of lifted nail polish character, light raisiny tones, an oxidative touch of beef jerky and a touch of dried figs. The wine is ripe, juicy and quite sweet-toned on the palate with a noticeably full body and bold flavors of dried figs, raisins, some strawberry jam, a little bit of oxidative beef jerky, light lifted notes of nail polish, a hint of cherry marmalade and a touch of prunes. The overall feel is so sweet-toned that I start to wonder whether the wine is just so ridiculously ripe, or if there is actually a little bit of residual sugar there? The high alcohol lends some noticeable heat to the palate. With its somewhat modest acidity and medium tannins, the overall feel is soft yet moderately firm. The finish is rich, juicy and quite warm with some tannic grip and lengthy flavors of raisins, some cherry marmalade, a little bit of oxidative beef jerky, light salty-umami notes of soy sauce and a hint of earthy spices.

    Ugh, this feels like a Spanish take on Amarone. Even though the wine isn't made from raisined grapes, the substantial body, raisiny flavors, pronounced alcohol and quite conspicuous sweetness make the wine feel very similar to an Amarone. And while the wine isn't over the hill in any way, the fruit department is getting already quite old and there are some oxidative nuances of beef jerky and soy sauce creeping in, making the wine feel already quite mature and somewhat tertiary. Based on how the wine is performing, I'd say it really doesn't need any more age but instead needs to be consumed now or quite soon in the future. Can't really say I'm a fan of this kind of lush, sweet, soft and alcoholic stuff - to me this felt like a rather clumsy wine which hadn't really picked up much finesse or complexity with age.

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  • Still hanging in there but better drink up.

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  • opened with tobacco and vanilla, but taste did not live up to expectations. The wife said "sweet" and I found it thin and generally unimpressive. Grilled lamb helped but just not up to others notes.

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  • Nose of briar, blackberry, and menthol. Multi layered dark fruits with a Carmel vanilla finish. Medium finish. Great qpr

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  • Upon pop n pour, I wrote: "A bit sweet, but good quaffer". But a day later, the sweetness evaporated and the wine got much more complex and enjoyable. Let this one breathe a good long time and you will be rewarded with a longer finish, more tannin flavor and lighter body than when you first pop it.

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Vinous

  • By Josh Raynolds
    September/October 2012, IWC Issue #164, (See more on Vinous...)

    (Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla) Login and sign up and see review text.
  • By Josh Raynolds
    Nov-09, IWC Issue #6300012, 11/1/2009, (See more on Vinous...)

    (Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla) Login and sign up and see review text.

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