Castillo Perelada Ex Ex 8

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There are just over 100 cases of the 2006 Ex Ex 8, made up of 100% Marselan (a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha) from an experimental plot on the property. It spent 16 months in French oak. Deep crimson-colored, it reveals an already complex perfume of cedar, espresso, violets, spice box, and assorted blue and black fruits. Full-bodied on the palate with plenty of volume and concentrated flavors, this lengthy effort has enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for another 3-4 years and should drink well through 2026. Castillo Perelada is producing excellent wines from its vineyards in Emporda in the extreme northeast corner of Spain near the French border.Importer: Perelada; www.castilloperelada.com

The 2006 Ex Ex 8 is 100% Marselan (a hybrid of Cabernet and Garnacha) from the Espolla vineyard that at time of writing has not been legalized by the Consejo Regulador. It has a rather smudged, perhaps one-dimensional bouquet that suffers when compared against the most successful Ex Ex 7. However, the palate is full-bodied and packed full of white pepper-tinged black fruit that cloaks the mouth, although it is a little cloying and predictable towards the finish. My first visit to Emporda was to Castillo Perelada, one of the driving forces behind the resurgence of viticulture in this region, where I undertook a comprehensive tasting of both present and past releases. Wine has been made at the Castillo since medieval times. Then in 1923, wealthy businessman Miguel Mateu bought the estate and he sought to revive winemaking tradition both here and in Emporda itself. I tasted the wines with his grandson Javier Suque. He explained how they are using satellite technology to map the vineyard, to such an extent that it made Bordeaux seem Luddite in comparison. It was an interesting set of wines with notable successes and others that missed the mark, and it was also fascinating to taste a vertical of the “Ex Ex” series of experimental wines that customers can subscribe to. The concept here is not to create the ultimate wine each year, but to try new things, toy with varieties and picking dates, to learn from experience. As you can see, the results I found were hit and miss, but I applaud someone who tries out new things and those that do subscribe are in for a ride. Following this, I was afforded an illuminating vertical of previous vintages, some of which have been rated by The Wine Advocate in previous issues. This vertical led me to one simple conclusion: Finca Garbet works best as a pure Syrah, as was the case in 2005 and 2007. The addition of Cabernet Sauvignon seems to knock it off balance and is distracting. I also tasted through a vertical of Castillo Perlada’s experimental “Ex Ex” series. The first two Ex Ex wines were sourced from the “Malaveina” vineyard. Importer: Perelada Comercial, NY; www.perladacomercial.com