2016 Bodegas Olivares Monastrell Altos de la Hoya Ungrafted Old Vines Finca Hoya de Santa Ana Jumilla
While re-organizing the cellar yesterday I came across this orphan. I don't recall being impressed with it--bought it years ago for making sangria for a party and guess we ended up with a leftover bottle. So I opened it last night half expecting to pour it down the drain, but instead ended up with (quoting Paul Zitarelli): made from 90% old vine Mourvedre and 10% Garnacha, vinified in 10,000-liter stainless steel vats, and then matured entirely in neutral barrels (some small, some large), allowing the old-vine fruit material to truly shine. The nose is outrageously complex and expressive for a sawbuck wine: luscious red and black fruit, saline minerals, fresh blossoms, and loads of herbaceous spice notes (cracked black peppercorns, fresh picked tarragon, sweet baking spice). The palate hums with power; it’s full of verve and led by a mix of ripe fruit, blood orange acidity, and anise-tinged earth. Its tannins are graceful, elevating the entire experience. It’s still shocking, even several vintages in, to find a $10 bottle with this level of terroir expressiveness. It’s priced like a mid-week wine, but this would not be out of place for a special occasion in the least...endlessly pairable.
What a gem!