Tasting Notes
The regular red 2018 Planetes de Nin was produced with grapes from the four hectares of vines they planted on their Les Planetes property in Porrera with a massal selection of indigenous grape varieties in 2008. It's a blend of 45% Garnacha and 16% Garnacha Peluda, ... and 39% Cariñena. There are different kinds of llicorella slate, some harder, some more decomposed and with different percentages of elements like iron, silica or black clay. ...They used around 40% full clusters and the rest destemmed but uncrushed grapes that fermented in 3,200-liter oak vats with their natural yeasts during 15 days; they pressed and put the grapes back in the vat to finish fermenting without skins, and then the clean wine was moved to a 3,000-liter oak vat where it completed an élevage of a total of 20 months. This has darker fruit than expected, with notes of ink and graphite, and it's a little earthy with iron-like notes of blood and meat. It has a medium to full body with some grainy tannins and a long, dry finish, but with very good freshness. They tell me it's something typical from the stony and iron-rich soils from Les Planetes, and the wine needs a little bit more time in bottle. 10,020 bottles produced.
Robert Parker 94 Points
About Nin Ortiz
Based in Porrera, Nin Ortiz is seen by many as possibly the most exciting of Priorat's third wave, nipping on the heals of pioneers such as Clos Mogador, Mas Martinet, Alvaro Palacios and Clos Erasmus. In fact, Ester Nin still manages the vineyards at Clos Erasmus. She and her partner Carles Ortiz employ biodynamic practices in their vineyards, all located in Porrera. They are of the school of thought that favors a blend of Garnacha and Cariñena, without any foreign grape varieties included in the blend. Ester and Carles' humble, tiny production winery is seen by those in the know as ascendant, and in a relatively quick clip of time it has reached the top echeleon, earning a spot amongst the top five producers in the zone.
