23.6.12

Pinot de Catalunya: Can Bonastre Pinot Noir 2008, Penedès


Once more a Pinot from Spain! This time from the mainland! More precise: from Penedès region in Catalonia. Actually a region of Spain were Pinot Noir isn’t that exotic, but pretty established for quite a while! Once more thanks to our friends from the Order of Cistercians! The producer is a luxurious boutique hotel –spa –restaurant – winery called Can Bonastre in the up-country area of Barcelona and rather close to the Montserrat Mountains. The winery itself isn’t that big. Besides the Pinot they produce a mildly barrel fermented Chardonnay and a pretty dense Syrah + Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The grapes for today’s Pinot were cultivated on Santa Magdalena Vineyard (clay loam soil). The maceration took 47 days (!) in stainless steel tanks and the barrel-ageing just 4 months (!) in American and French oak.



The colour was rather typical for a Pinot-Spaniard: dark purple, murky and opaque. The nose presented scents of amarena cherries, mint, hints of cassis, some ethereal traces and rather strong, for Pinot Noir, scents of chocolate-hazelnut flavoured spread or more precisely: Nutella! Besides these specific impressions I sensed a rather fine and elegant seeming Pinot undertone. Maybe a bit more rustic and dark, but definitely: typical Pinot! Its taste had plenty of dark cherries, some brown’ish and maybe a bit mash’y fruits (okay, but not too delightful), mint’ish freshness, tartness from certain dark and earthy features and plenty of palate vitalising as well as drinkability stimulating acid. Not so many chocolaty or nutty flavours. Besides all that ... and probably more ... I never got a feeling of too much alcohol or displeasing jam’s sweetness (very dry and a bit austere style). Atmospherically a gloomy elegant and in touch with nature Pinot! Whatever that means ;-) The concentration seemed very decent and adequate. The complexity of flavours and mineral features (and whatsoever) yet again decent! Not overwhelming, but decent! Fine stuff for an acceptable amount of dough!


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