A Tantalizing Trio of Knockout Reds from the Juan Gil Family!
The category of silky, pure, plush, big reds is as hot as ever. Today we bring you not one, not two, but three scorching powerhouses from the Juan Gil family's estate in Spain’s hot spot region of Jumilla!
All three wines are based on the family's old-vine Monastrell, with the premium two containing good amounts of Cabernet and/or Syrah. This gorgeous fruit combined with lavish oak aging results in a trio of smooth and polished wines, each with a character and value proposition that sets them apart from their ubiquitous new world competitors.
Read on for the details, including last call on our final stack of the magnificent 2022 El Nido "Clio" and a special beats-every-online-listing-price on their 2022 "Blue Label," then smash the Big Green Button to get your order in!
==========
2022 Bodegas El Nido "Clio"
Jumilla, Spain
~~~~~~~~~~~
With its explosive dark fruit, spice-laden flavors, reasonable price and limited availability, the Bodegas El Nido "Clio" has a passionate following like few other wines from anywhere on the planet. As they say, IYKYK. (If you know, you know!)
If you don’t know, then let us tell you about why you need to experience the power and elegance of “Clio” today. From rocky vineyards planted at 2300 to 2800 feet of elevation, this lush red is a blend of roughly 70% hand-tended old vine Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, skilfully fermented in steel tanks and small barrels by winemaker Chris Ringland - the Gil family's partner in El Nido - to preserve the intense flavors given from these gnarly old vines, it is then generously aged for 24 months in a combination of new French and American oak barrels. The resulting wine is a plush, flashy, opulent showstopper!
Straight after popping the cork, this opaque, purple colored, and deeply concentrated red leaps from the glass with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, plum, dark chocolate and roasted coffee bean. After 30 to 60 minutes in your decanter, look for additional oak-driven notes of Asian five-spice, vanilla bean and white pepper, with just a tiny whiff of smoke.
This highly expressive wine captivates with its intensity, complexity and elegance, and it delivers a luxury, powerhouse character in a way that has lovers of big Napa reds singing its praise. Median online retail is $55. Our price is a full ten bucks a bottle less.
Given the pure power and beauty, it is hard to believe this wine is still priced so reasonably, which is probably why our allocation always sell out fast. Grab a handful of bottles to enjoy now, and over the coming 5+ years!
Vin Chicago Price: 44.79
2022 Juan Gil "Blue Label" Red Blend
Jumilla, Spain
~~~~~~~~~~~
This 2022 vintage release of “Blue Label” from Juan Gil effortlessly checks all the boxes of what makes big, powerful red blends so delicious and fun to drink.
A bit of a baby Clio, it is sourced from certified organically farmed old-vines grown at over 2300 feet in the high hills of Jumilla. This full-throttle blend of 60% Monastrell, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah hits the bullseye with fresh and ripe fruit-driven notes of Maraschino cherry, dark raspberry, blackberry and red currant, all layered with complex and tantalizing secondary flavors of black pepper, baking spice, dried herbs, subtle smoke and rocky, stony earth tones.
As with Clio, the Blue Label is aged entirely in brand new French and American oak barrels, with its generous 18 months of cellaring adding sexy, sweet spices, vanilla, mocha and balsamic to the experience.
The amount of true complexity, sophistication and depth of flavor, along with wonderful balance and elegance, is beyond impressive a for big, fruit-powered red that sells for thirty dollars. As with Clio, and the Silver Label too, it is a testament to the magic of Jumilla.
To get the best out this big boy, we recommend allowing it to breathe in your decanter for about an hour to allow oxygen to unlock all of the flavors hidden inside. We thoroughly enjoyed our sample bottle over the course of three days, and it was a great match over those three nights with grilled NY strip steaks, grilled chicken and sausages, and a fully loaded pizza. It would also be a wonderful nightcap paired with your favorite cigar!
Median online retail is $36. If you're comparing this with comparable quality wines from Northern California, that is already a BIG win. At our BEATS-ALL-53-LISTINGS price, now is the time to buy!
Vin Chicago Price: 28.79
2021 Juan Gil "Silver Label" Monastrell
Jumilla, Spain
~~~~~~~~~~~
We've been selling this bottling for 20 years, and we are as wowed by it now as we were all those years ago. Amazingly, though the old vines that make it are now two decades older, the price has not gone up a single penny!
From the 2021 vintage, this delightfully pure, fresh, fruit-driven bottling of 100% Monastrell is the answer for what to drink when just want something good and easy to pair with whatever you have coming off the grill, or glass to enjoy before dinner. (For those who like to eat out, but who don't like to pop $70 to $100 for a bottle, it's also one to keep an eye open for on the restaurant wine list!)
Despite the low price, this gem has earned a 93-point review from Wine Advocate - not too shabby!
As with the other wines featured today - and pretty much every big red out there - you'll want to serve this at around 65 degrees. If you put it in the fridge half an hour before serving, you'll pretty much be right on track.
Median online retail is a very attractive $16. Our price beats all but one of the online listings. We're getting to the end of the 2021 vintage, so this is likely to sell out quick.
Vin Chicago Price: 12.99
