Product Review
The 2005 Neo Punta Esencia is a large-scaled behemoth with lots of fruit and the structure to match. It presents a superb aromatic array of toasty new oak, mineral, truffle, violets, licorice, and blackberry. On the palate it is full-bodied, weighty, and powerful leading to a rich, full-flavored finish. It should easily have a 30 year lifespan.
Bodegas Neo consists of a bunch of young guys having the time of their lives. They seem to be making wine everywhere (Rueda, Priorat, Bierzo, Rioja, and Ribera del Duero), as well as designing wine labels, recording music videos, and generally partying. But when it comes down to their top two wines, they are deadly serious. On my visit in May, 2010, I was shown verticals of Neo and Neo Punta Esencia. Neo is sourced from 50- to 60-year-old Tempranillo vines and typically aged in French and American oak for 15 months before bottling without fining or filtration. Neo Punta Esencia is made only in the better years. It is sourced from a single, 80-year-old vineyard produ
Coined by Jancis Robinson as "Spain’s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon," its style varies significantly depending on terroir and the wine-making techniques used. Cooler regions and stainless steel fermentation tend to produce Tempranillos with fresh strawberry and cherry like fruit, similar in body to Pinot Noir. Examples from hotter, more arid regions that undergo extended oak aging often produce richer, plumper, jammier wines, typically exhibiting chocolate, tobacco, and leather notes. Tempranillo provides the backbone of the highly regarded wines of Rioja, Toro and Ribera del Duero. In Rioja particularly, it is typically blended with Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano. In La Mancha and Navarra, it is commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to produce inexpensive, great-value wines. One of the few places Tempranillo has spread to is Spain’s neighbour, Portugal. Grown mainly in the Douro valley since the mid 19th century, where they call it Tinta Roriz, it is used as one of the key blending agents in port. Lately it has been used in the region's intensely rich, dry, table wines.
Ribera del Duero is situated along the Duero River on the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula in Northern Spain. This region experiences hot summers and harsh winters, with large temperature fluctuations from day to night. These extreme weather patterns give grapes the concentrated flavors and aromas the region has become known for. Ribera del Duero’s red wines are sourced almost entirely from the Tempranillo grape, or “Tinto Fino” as it is known in Ribera del Duero. It is not uncommon for other varieities such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec to be blended alongside Tinto Fino. These wines deliver deep colors, firm tannins and significant aging potential. Ribera del Duero has aging requirements similar to those in Rioja: “Crianza” wines must age at least two years with 12 months in oak; “Reserva” wines must age at least three years with 12 months in oak; “Gran Reserva” wines must spend five years aging with two in oak
NULL
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
