Made from 25 year old Syrah and 35 year old Garnacha fruit that was hand harvested. Each variety was fermented and aged separately. Only the first press/free-run juice is used for this production so as to emphasize a sweet tannin structure. Both varietals saw a short time in oak barrels to add complexity and soften the tannin structure prior to blending.
90pts International Wine Review– 2017 vintage
A blend of 80% Garnacha and 20% Syrah offering aromas of strawberry and cherry. Big and soft on the palate, it has very expressive flavors with a creamy texture and a medium finish. Delicious and soft yet with good structure and soft tannins
N88pts View from the Cellar– 2017 vintage
The 2017 Las Colinas del Ebro tinto from Bodegas Abanico is composed of a blend of eighty percent Garnaxta and twenty percent Syrah, with the former hailing from thirty-five to fifty year-old vines and the latter from a twenty-five year-old vineyard. The wine only sees three months in cask during its elevage, in a combination of French and American oak and the 2017 vintage comes in at 14.5 percent octane. The wine offers up a ripe and complex nose of black raspberries, a touch of fruitcake, garrigue, a fine base of soil, roasted game and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, ripe and chewy, with a broad-shouldered and robust personality, good depth at the core, firm tannins and a long, slightly heady finish. There is a bit of sur maturité elements in the flavor spectrum here and the wine is probably a wee bit closer to fifteen percent than it is 14.5 percent, but there is complexity and depth here as well and if you do not mind the higher octane, there is plenty to enjoy. It’s $15 price point is a hell of a lot more attractive than most Châteauneuf du Papes! This too comes sealed under a plastic cork this year, which is better than last year’s screwcap, but I would love to see a move to agglomerated natural corks in the near future, as they should be about the same price and offer the best longer-term aging potential- and this wine would certainly age with the right closure. A tad riper than I would like, but not bad at all! 2018-2030+?
90pts Vinous – Antonio Galloni– 2017 vintage
FOR THE 2017 VINTAGE
Vivid magenta. Lively black raspberry and floral pastille aromas take on a spicy aspect with aeration. Silky and expansive on the palate, offering appealingly sweet red/blue fruit and spicecake flavors that pick up a peppery quality on the back half. The spicy note comes back on the persistent finish, which is supported by smooth, even tannins. (all stainless steel)
