[WTN] Mas d'en Gil 2003 Coma Vella
Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:59 pmSomeone bought me this as a present which I was immensely happy to receive as not only is this a very well-regarded vintner but I have a particular fondness for Spanish wine - and before this I was unfamiliar with the region of Priorato from which this hails.
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Scent not overly expressive - soft black fruit and smoke, certainly and I thought I also detected notes of hazelnut.
The immediate sensation on taking a mouthful is one of texture, not flavour. The wine is well balanced, full-bodied, velvety, mouth-coating and rich. You feel almost as if you could eat it instead of drink it - I presume this is the sensation so many wine critics refer to as "chewy" or "crunchy".
A slight spiciness seems to almost dissolve the texture and then the flavour comes through. The predominant flavours are bitter, although not unpleasantly so - unripe cherry, cooking chocolate and licorice - although softer notes such as plum that little tinge of hazelnut come through a bit later. The fruit is very definitely subdued though - this is a wine as much about feel as it as about flavour.
The most astonishing thing I found about this wine though was the finish which was dominated by those bitter flavours and which just lasts and lasts and lasts. I enjoyed some good, strong cheese with this wine and to my amazement I discovered that the finish even dominated over the after-taste of ripe Brie!
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Scent not overly expressive - soft black fruit and smoke, certainly and I thought I also detected notes of hazelnut.
The immediate sensation on taking a mouthful is one of texture, not flavour. The wine is well balanced, full-bodied, velvety, mouth-coating and rich. You feel almost as if you could eat it instead of drink it - I presume this is the sensation so many wine critics refer to as "chewy" or "crunchy".
A slight spiciness seems to almost dissolve the texture and then the flavour comes through. The predominant flavours are bitter, although not unpleasantly so - unripe cherry, cooking chocolate and licorice - although softer notes such as plum that little tinge of hazelnut come through a bit later. The fruit is very definitely subdued though - this is a wine as much about feel as it as about flavour.
The most astonishing thing I found about this wine though was the finish which was dominated by those bitter flavours and which just lasts and lasts and lasts. I enjoyed some good, strong cheese with this wine and to my amazement I discovered that the finish even dominated over the after-taste of ripe Brie!