Barahonda's 2014 Carro. 90 Points, Gold Medal Winning. Yecla and Barahonda are Providing Nigh on Ridiculous Value.

I am writing this email from Yecla. Yes, it is all it is cracked up to be.

CARRO BY SEÑORÍO DE BARAHONDA 2014

90 points – Robert Parker, Nov 2015
Gold Medal – Mundus Vini 2015

Bottle Price : $14.95

Case Price : $179.40

Winery : Señorio de Barahonda

Wine Region : Spain (Spain), Yecla (Spain)

Bottle Per Case : 12 x 750 ml

Food Pairing : Breads, Cured Meat, Hard Cheese, Red Meat, Roasted Vegetables

“The 2014 Carro is a ridiculous value in a full-bodied, complex, rich and savory dry red wine. Dense ruby/purple with notes of blackberry and blueberry fruit, licorice and camphor, the wine is totally unoaked and naked. This is a beauty of purity and richness and just goes to show what one can buy if careful with researching importers. Drink it over the next several years.”

As i mentioned above, i am writing this email from Yecla. I was always amazed by the prices and the quality, but seeing the region and speaking with Alfredo Candela about the process here in Yecla has made this all the more amazing. The yields from these ancient vines are tiny as it virtually never rains. These are some of the smallest yields per hectare of anywhere in Spain. No wonder the concentration in these wines is so amazing. I can’t figure out how the prices are as low as they are, but questioning the low pricing doesn’t seem like the most sensible use of our time here.

Barahonda runs an amazing operation down here. Everything from the vineyards to the winemaking is executed with precision and knowledge.

This wine sold through in minutes last time. The next PO as well. Finally, a PO landed where we have some stock to offer. Should this sell as quickly, don’t worry, there is more coming behind it.

The Carro is a blend that includes Syrah, Merlot, Tempranillo and Monastrell. It is almost impossible not to love this wine. Throw in the fact that it costs less than $15/bottle and you might just want to consider a purchase of more than a case.

This wine is popular enough that it is often sold out prior to the wine landing. Yes, this PO is partially sold out. If sales are typical, the balance of the PO will sell out fairly quickly. Don’t worry, we have a bunch more on the way, so if you want some, i do suggest you reserve some as this way you are sure to receive delivery upon arrival.

There was a time when blends were thought to be inferior wines, and few wines were marketed as blends. For example, almost all Bordeaux wine is blended and all of the 1st Growths certainly are, but they are not marked as such on the bottles.

If you are wondering how we continue to find the up and comer wine producers and especially those from Spain, it is due to the fact that we have legs on the ground over there. Jonny has been full time with WineOnline.ca for nearly a decade and has the job of being on top of the European wine trends before they make it over here to North America. I commend him on the work he has done and continues to do. It is wonderful to be able to represent such terrific wineries.

On that note, I will happily feature a couple more wonderful little treats from Spain. There are a few cases remaining of Barahonda’s Campo Arriba. Should you want it from this PO, i would order fast as this is nearly sold out. This is a big and fruit forward wine that also managed to garner a 93 point from score Parker.

Yesterday, we were in Rioja. The contrast between Rioja and Yecla is extremely interesting but a topic for another email. The subject for this email is the fact that the last remaining 100 cases of the 2010 Rioja Crianza are available now and will go very fast. Even the Spanish can’t believe the price of this wine. Vintae continues to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest growing wineries in the Spanish market. What this says to me, is they are doing a fabulous job.

Spring is coming. Make sure that you have the right wines to welcome in the season.

Happy Friday!