A deep, dark colour with black cherry tones and a spicy, floral bouquet. The nose reveals an explosion of red berry fruit aromas. Balsamic, toasty notes also come through, derived from aging in new French oak barrels. Smooth and elegant on the palate, this wine is amazingly expressive, powerful and very well balanced, followed by a lingering finish.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: The Syrah 2015 Pago Garduna is the one bottling that tends to show more marked smoky and toasty notes, perhaps because the oak tends to accentuate the varietal notes. It’s structured, with round tannins and good volume.
- James Suckling: I love the deep, peppery and smoky nose of this ambitious, Spanish syrah. Great balance of ripe flavors and elegant tannins on the concentrated palate, then a cascade of berry character at the very long finish.
Producer Information
Bodega Abadía Retuerta is a winery based in Sardon de Duero, in central Spain’s northern Castilla y León region, a little way west of Ribera del Duero. The estate is known for its red blended and varietal wines made from Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Abadía Retuerta has been influential in increasing the profile and recognition of the region. Techinally outside the Ribera del Duero DO, all of the company’s wines carry the Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León designation. The labels regularly include “Viñedos Propios [estate vineyards] Sardon de Duero” on the label as well. The wine estate was founded in 1996 with the construction of a patented, state-of-the-art winery. The building and gravity-led winemaking techniques were designed by Pascal Delbeck, a Bordeaux-based oenologist and consultant perhaps best-known for his consulting work with prestigious Saint-Émilion estate Château Ausone. Abadía Retuerta also has a 12th Century fortified monastery on its property. This was restored and converted into a hotel by Abadía Retuerta’s parent company, the Swiss pharmaceutical firm, Novartis. The estate has over 200 hectares (500 acres) under vine, with the majority planted to Tempranillo. A total of 54 different plots are each planted to specific varieties. Vineyards are spread across the property from the banks of the Duero River to hillside slopes at elevations of 825m (2700ft) above sea level. The climate is strongly continental with high diurnal and seasonal temperature ranges. The soil composition also varies from plot to plot from gravel, alluvium, limestone, sand and clay. Although red wines make up the bulk of the portfolio, a white blend is made from a mistaken planting of Sauvignon Blanc. Experimenting with the fruit was a success and 2011 became the first commercial vintage.
