René Barbier - Espectacle del Montsant 2012

"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."