FERRER BOBET 08
Pretty (serious) in Priorat? Clearly. An expressive, gorgeous, lush wine, with or without food, this one has it going on. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 96 points? Good call, Jay. The nose starts with a blend of licorai (ahh... love that slatey smell!), cedar and earthy spice paralleled by sweet black cherry/blackberry fruits and midnight florals, minerality and a touch of salted meat. It's integrated in a 'wall of sound' way, with flavors and scents 'echoing' around the palate, reverberating off each component in a harmonious, tasty dance. The palate is a definite "wow" for the imbiber. Sweet forward fruit, cherry/black cherry, along with the licorai/fennel tastes are carried on a luxurious wave of tannins riding a crest of unctuous richness. The tannic structure is solid and well-integrated with the big flavors, keeping the wine balanced and lithe in its ebullience. The slatey minerality comes in again at the end as another wave of ripe fruit, dark berries and raspberries, lead to a 3-minute finish. This is a treat and should be fun to taste as it evolves over the next decade.WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2008 Ferrer/Bobet is a vibrant offering with an expressive nose of cedar, spicy black fruits, exotic spices, and lavender. Only time will tell whether the 2009 is better than this beauty.
Ferrer/Bobet is the future showplace of Priorat. No expense has been spared in the construction of a magnificent winery and in the planting of the vineyards. Sergi Ferrer-Salat is a young pharmaceutical tycoon with apparently a much greater interest in fine wine than drugs, while his partner Raul Bobet was the long-time winemaker at Torres. Ferrer-Salat makes it clear that his goal is to make the greatest wine possible without regard to whether he makes money. I’m not sure if Bobet would totally agree, but it appears that he is up for the challenge..."
