2020 Bodegas El Nido Clio, Spain, Jumilla, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$36.00USD

This is the big, modern style of Spanish wine.  It is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is intense with black cherries, black raspberries, blueberries along with char and spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Juicy, velvety texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black cherries and cassis notes with spice and underlying char.  Enough acidity to handle the fruit.  Long finish.  Of course, this is young and will develop and mellow a bit as the tannins and fruit integrate, but this is not a shy wine not will it be in twent

2018 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

A very consistent wine from vintage to vintage.  This is a big wine that drinks more "new world'.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, char, spice, slight blueberries and a hint of roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is up-front and delicious.  Lots of black cherry fruit with some smoke and spice.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another twenty years.  Great on its own, this works well with big flavors.  It can stand up to chorizo sausages.  

2019 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$42.00USD

The first bottle we opened of this was corked, but the second was sound.  It is a blend of 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre), and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  15.5% abv.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has blueberries, cassis, some black cherries, toast and baking spices.  Full bodied.  Thick and tannic at the moment.  Loads of fresh black cherries and black raspberries on the palate, with underlying spice and char.  Long finish.  This is delicious now, but needs plenty of time to develop.  Cellar for five to ten years and drink for twenty after that.  Right now it will be a diffic

2017 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

This is a very modern, big take on Spanish wine.  A blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is also delicious.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums, cassis, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, the red fruits come thru with a base of charred wood.  Long finish.  This is still young and likely to continue to improve for another five to ten years.  It should drink for twelve to fifteen more after that.  Right now it will over power most foods and drinks better on its own.  With some bottle age it will work well with

2016 Bodegas Juan Gil, Spain, Jumilla, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

This is made from Monastrell (Mourvedre).  It was great to get a chance to revisit as it had probably been ten years since last tried.  It is a tremendous value in wine.  Deep ruby/purple in color.  The nose has black raspberries, dust, blueberries and vanilla.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet/rip with black raspberries, slight blueberries and char.  This is also delicious.  It drinks great on its own and will work with ribs or burgers.  I suspect it ages for five to seven years, but have never tried that as it drinks well young.  A great option on restaurant lists as well.  

2017 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$39.00USD

This is a big young wine.  It is delicious, but will need some time.  it is a blend of 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color.  The nose is big.  The nose has black raspberries, smoke, black cherries, and dark chocolate.  With air, some baking spices come out.  On the palate, this is ripe, slightly sweet with black raspberries and plums.  A bit of spice.  Firm tannins.  Long finish.  This is accessible now but will improve as the tannins and fruit integrate.  In the meanwhile, it is delicious on its own.  With age it will work well with roasts and casseroles

2018 Antonio Arráez Jumilla Vivir sin Dormir, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$10.00USD

This is 100% Monastrell (also known as Mourvedre) from Jumilla, Spain.  It is another excellent red value from outside the main wine growing regions of Spain.  Purple/ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a dusty attic quality along with plums and a bit of iodine.  Interesting.  On the palate, this has black cherries and plums.  A bit of spice.  Some acidity.  Not a lot of complexity but easy drinking.  it should be drunk in the next year or two, but who knows, perhaps a lost bottle will surprise in five years.  It is a nice wine for a party or cook out.  It should go with most mea

2009 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Jumilla, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell (Mourvedre).  In its youth, this was a big, sweet, oak drive and tannic wine.  At age 9 it has come together nicely.  It is still drinking youthfully but no longer dominated by oak, there is still plenty of fruit.  It is ripe and there are still medium tannins left.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, black cherries, coffee grounds and spice.  On the palate, this has a lush texture.  Juicy black cherry and some cassis fruit.  There is a nice depth here if not (yet) delineated.  An underlying coffee note.  It worked with mildly spiced

2015 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio, Spain, Jumilla - Wine Review

Score: 
94
Grade: 
A

This is a big wine for sure.  I suspect it will be a love it or hate it kind of wine.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has dusty dark cherries, plums and chocolate and spice.  On the palate this is jammy with a lot of fruit.  Dark cherries and black raspberries.  Some spice showing.  It is really all about sweet fruit right now.  Delicious and enjoyable.  Not the best food pairing but great on its own.  Having had past vintages, I think it will settle down but if you don't like it young, you won't like it older.  If you do, its got a decade left.  

Jumilla: Spain's Comeback Wine Region

The Jumilla DO has turned potential disaster into triumph. In 1989 – long after most Spanish wine growers had encountered phylloxera, lost nearly everything, and replanted – the insect finally arrived in Jumilla, with predictable results. As phylloxera spread, grapevines succumbed, and Jumilla's growers had to make some hard choices.