99pts The Wine Advocate– 2012 vintage

FOR THE 2012 VINTAGE
Almost reaching perfection, the 2012 Espectacle del Montsant is nothing short of spectacular, a worthy follow up to the 2010. I first tasted the wine looking at the vineyard which is as close as it gets to the Hermitage hill or Côte-Rôtie, an amazing terraced amphitheater planted with very old Garnacha vines on chalky soils at higher altitude in Montsant, in the village of La Morera, which might produce the freshest wines of the appellation. The 2012 is amazing, probably the best vintage produced so far. The highly aromatic wine is full of red berries, flowers, spices that are showy and heady; it goes straight to your brain and it stays there. I recorked the bottle and tasted it again a couple of hours later to find that it keeps changing, sometimes showing more floral, sometimes spicier notes that revealed just a lactic hint that denotes youth. The palate is ultra-polished, with incredibly silky tannins and great acidity, showing very lively. This is incredibly balanced and harmonious, the most elegant Montsant I’ve ever drunk. I tried a second bottle a couple of weeks later and it was as good or even better, so it was not having the wine while looking at the breathtaking vineyard that made my heart beat faster. There is no rush to drink this, but it would be hard to resist it, as it’s so hedonistic and beautiful right now. I now wonder what the 2013 is going to be like, and regret not having had the chance to taste it from the foudre… They produce around 5,000 bottles per vintage. I visited the Espectacle vineyard, which is true to its name, truly spectacular. This is a joint venture between René Barbier from Clos Mogador, importer Christopher Cannan and some other friends. When René saw the vineyard, and once the owner was going to retire, he knew he had to buy it. This is one of those places that when you see them you realize they HAVE to produce great wine. And it does..

96pts The Wine Advocate– 2013 vintage

FOR THE 2013 VINTAGE
I think the 2013 Espectacle del Montsant suffered when tasted next to its ‘cousins’ from Clos Mogador. This pure Garnacha from old vines in the village of La Figuera in Montsant showed a waterfall of red fruit and violets with subtle touches of spices in an elegant way. The palate is pure silk, quite fruit-driven with moderate acidity and silky tannins, but somehow I was expecting a little more tension and spark; I found it a little shy and not as vibrant as one would wish in a vintage like 2013. I mean, it’s delicious and elegant, really pleasant, but the bar had been set too high already. 5,600 bottles produced.

97pts The Wine Advocate– 2014 vintage

FOR THE 2014 VINTAGE
The cooler and more austere 2014 Espectacle del Montsant could have some similarities with 2008. It has beautiful floral aromas and hints of orange peel and wet stones. It has a serious, balanced and austere palate, a closer expression of Espectacle, with contained ripeness and an earthier, more mineral finish. It’s very different from 2015, which is possibly a more classical expression of the vineyard, while this 2014 is quite unique and different. But I like this austerity very much. Around 6,000 bottles were filled from one 4,500-liter oak foudre. It was bottled in May 2016.