2003 Marti Fabra Masia Carreras

The compelling 2003 Masia Carreras is a blend of primarily Grenache and Carignan with tiny dollops of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The Grenache and Carignan come from 50- to 80-year-old vineyards. The wine was aged 18 months in French oak prior to being bottled unfined and unfiltered. A great expression of the appellation, it reveals terrific minerality along with wonderfully projected, even flamboyant sweet red and black fruits interwoven with notions of flowers and graphite. Deep purple-hued, rich, full-bodied, stunningly pure, and well-textured, this beauty can be drunk over the next 10-12 years. Marti Fabra, a newcomer to the increasingly interesting Spanish wine scene, is located in an appellation that is revealing wonderful potential with its old vine Grenache and Carignan as well as its newer plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Tempranillo.