1997 Vega Sindoa El Chaparral Old Vines Grenache

This wine is the star of Bodegas Nekeas. There are 2,000 cases of this wine, which is made from 25 parcels of old vine Grenache. Readers can be sure I will be purchasing several cases for enjoying over the next several years. It tastes like an excellent Chateauneuf du Pape, and even though they can be terrific values, a Chateauneuf du Pape of this quality would sell for $20-$30 a bottle. The dark ruby/purple-colored El Chaparral Old Vine boasts a knock-out nose of black raspberries, kirsch, spice, and pepper. In the mouth, the wine is expansive, round, and lush, with a slight pain grille note in the background. It is an authoritatively-flavored, rich, chewy, velvety-textured, old vine Grenache that should drink well for 5-7 years. The youngest Grenache vines for this cuvee were 60 years old, and the oldest in excess of 100 years. The wine was macerated for 25 days, and then put directly into Allier French oak and American oak, where it remained on its lees for 5 months. Readers should be buying this wine by the truck full - it's that good! This family-owned (eight separate families) winery in Navarra, in the foothills of the Pyrenees has become one of the leading sources of terrific wine values. The production from all estate-grown fruit is about 66,000 cases, of which half is sold in America. As I have reported in previous issues, these wines are must purchases for readers seeking to maximize their purchasing power. Importer: Jorge Ordonez, Fine Estates From Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (617) 461-5767