2011 Quinta Sardonia Red
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Tasting notes
(51% tempranillo, 29% cabernet sauvignon, 6% merlot, 5% syrah, 5% petit verdot, 2% cabernet franc and 2% merlot; aged for a year and a half in French oak): Saturated ruby. Powerful, smoke-accented cherry and licorice aromas are sharpened and lifted by a zesty mineral quality and a touch of fresh rose. Deeply concentrated dark fruit and fruitcake flavors are slow to unwind, picking up a hint of bitter chocolate with aeration. Finishes chewy and long, with dusty tannins providing grip. Sep 2014, www.vinous.com
Critic scores
Average Score
Josh Raynolds
Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2011 QS is Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon with small percentages of other French grapes fermented together and aged in oak barrels for 20 months. The aim is to show the chalky character of the quinta (estate). 2011 is extremely ripe and the wine reached 15.4% alcohol, but it doesn’t show. It starts quite lactic, with notes of fruits-of-the-forest yogurt, spicy and lush, with no noticeable oak. The wine needs plenty of time and air, so decanting it in advance is a good idea. It is ripe but it’s focused and bright, perhaps the effect of some stems in the wine. The palate is full-bodied, but it has very good balance and acidity, a special liveliness provided by the mineral, chalky, drying sensation of the texture. A soil-driven red of character. Drink 2015-2021. Aug 2014, www.robertparker.com