Backfill & Diversify Vol. 3

It's not often one tastes a wine that leaves one with a feeling of awe at just what grape + mother nature can =. I sit at my desk with a glass to hand and in it, all innocent-looking, is a small pour of a Spanish red wine that, minutes ago, lit up my taste buds like an exploding fundamentalist.

I look at the sample - a modest inch of liquid the colour of a red midnight - and think about wine jargon. I am certain that I could find untold other red wines that would look very similar in the glass. I have, therefore, to prod myself into a descriptive state; to find ways to differentiate, in written word, the difference between this limpid stain and the next. This is, of course, where jargon comes in. Click on the tasting note icon for my effort.

Vintage	Wine	Drink dates	Case size	Price In Bond
2001	Palomero, Bodegas Uvaguilera, Ribera del Duero, Spain Notes: A very deep and rather beautiful ruby red in the glass, a very narrow paler band at the rim hinting that there might be big things coming up. There's lots of immediate spice from the wood: the first thing that meets an approaching proboscis. Then, in a rush, meaty notes, charcoal and cocoa; leather; black fruits, taking in bramble and the blackest of black plums, black cherry and loganberry. There's a sweet herbal note. I gave it a stab and came up with marjoram, but with a couple of question marks next to the word to indicate my lack of confidence. There are wisps of smoke.   The entry is plush, suave and satin-textured and just sooooooo rich. This is one extremely concentrated mouthful of black cherry and bramble fruit. It's a big wine, as in "BIG WINE". It sings in a basso profundo range, but there are contrasting high notes courtesy of the fresh acidity and the serious scrunch of minerals. There are distinctly meaty notes to this cool and highly structured fluid.   Seriously concentrated; serious stuff. A touch cedary. And there's high grip at the finish. Very, very long indeed.   As an aside, I gave a sip to Joseph. At 28 months he seems to have an excellent palate, as he leapt around shouting "I like it; I like it!"	2008-2015	6x75cl	£246.00
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Here's Parker:

"The profound 2001 Palomero boasts an opaque ruby/purple color as well as an extraordinary perfume of sweet saddle leather, smoke, herbs, blackberries, creme de cassis, truffles, and graphite. One of the most prodigious Ribera del Dueros I have tasted, it offers great precision, fabulous concentration, and a long, 40+ second finish. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. 96/100."