Pardas Aspriu 2014

Cabernet Franc from the La Barraca vineyard, and the most recent release of this wine. A mixture of ripe and slightly dried strawberry and black cherry, undergrowth, chocolate and coffee. Aromatically, this is absolutely gorgeous! The complexity is still there on the palate though the tannins are creeping in a little. To drink soon and with great relish. 2018-2026

The 2014 Xarel.lo Aspriu was produced with grapes from a 1.2-hectare vineyard called La Lola in the property Can Comas on limestone and clay soils that are not cultivated. It fermented in concrete vat and new 500-liter French oak barrels, where the wine matured for seven months. These are wines for the long run; they have aging potential (at eight years of age now, this is proof of that), and in 2014 it achieved 13% alcohol and retained very good freshness, reflected by a pH of 3.09. 2014 and 2015 were the last "normal" vintages in the zone. After that, the weather went crazy. This was first separated from the regular Xarel.lo in 2009 and they don't bottle it every vintage (they did not produce 2016, 2020 or 2021), and they keep it for a long time before they sell it. Despite its age, this is still young and was a little shy and closed. It slowly revealed balsamic aromas of camphor, bay leaf and dried herbs, which I often find in aged sparkling wines, and a balanced palate with very good freshness and balance. This is elegant and complex. It has a dry palate with chalky tannins. 1,114 bottles were produced. It was bottled in July 2015. - Luis Gutiérrez.