Familia Nin Ortiz | Priorat | Nit de Nin “Mas d’en Caçador” | 2018 | 1500ml

Description

Product description for Familia Nin Ortiz Nit de Nin “Mas d’en Caçador” 2018

Star oenologist Ester Nin launched this project in 2003 and immediately received top marks from international wine critics. Through her work as a bodega manager and oenologist at the Clos i Terasses (Clos Erasmus) winery, she has gained extensive experience in producing world-class wines. The Mas den Caçador plot, which forms the basis for Nit de Nin, is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and best sites in the Priorat region. But this special location also takes its toll. Working in the vineyard is only possible with mules, which is no easy task given the extremely steep slope. The location of Finca Planetes is hardly inferior. Together with her husband Carles Ortiz, she cultivates both plots entirely biodynamically.

Information

From Porrera, it takes a good half hour by jeep to complete the daring journey up to Mas d’en Caçador. The vineyard is located in a remote location on the border of Porrera and Gratallops. At approximately 650 meters above sea level, it is one of the highest sites in Priorat, offering sweeping views of the entire region. The 80- to 110-year-old low-growing Garnatxa, Garnatxa Pelluda, and Cariñena vines are planted on pure Llicorella iron schist terraces, which are worked by mules. The hand-harvested wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation and ages for 16 months in 2,700-liter barrels. Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz acquired this absolutely exceptional three-hectare vineyard in 2004.

Colour

dark, almost black purple

Nose

If you’ve followed the Mas d’en Caçador over the years, it becomes increasingly clear what excellent vineyard work goes into this exceptional vineyard; after all, there’s a reason why the alcohol levels have dropped by more than one percent over the past three years. And indeed, you can already sense with your nose that the wine has become even fresher in the 2018 vintage—despite all the concentration, opulence, and dark power that this wine naturally continues to display. It’s a bit like taking a black slate slab, rubbing it with a damp cloth, and then covering it with ripe plums, blackberries, blackcurrants, and black cherries, with bay leaves and cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and allspice, and then mashing it all together and letting it stand until it becomes a unified whole. This is roughly how much time the wine currently needs in the glass to find its feet. Then, at some point, a stony coolness creeps in, along with a hint of smoke, and an impressive depth develops.

Palate

This wine is pure hedonism. It offers plenty of everything the Priorat has to offer, but never becomes too rich; it always remains balanced and fresh, despite the ripeness of the dark fruit. Here, too, there are plenty of blackberries, black cherries, plums, and cassis, along with cranberries and a hint of sloe, as well as charcoal, violets, and hoisin sauce. The tannin is powerful but ripe. Of course, it’s still very young, and you should give it time. But even a few hours in the decanter will help. The sweetness of the fruit is in perfect balance with the acidity, which is accompanied by a stunningly vibrant minerality that these ancient vines draw from the Llicorella soil. It is a wine of overwhelming depth and power, length and inner peace and balance.

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Wine Advocate

Score: 98

The last time I tasted the 2018 Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador it was not ready because it took 26 months to finish fermenting! It never stopped, but it went verrrry slowly. 2018 was a cooler year with good rain, and they lost 2000 kilos of Cariñena Blanca while waiting for the grapes to ripen. This has 14% alcohol and very good ripeness. It has more developed aromas than the 2019 and 2020 that I tasted next to it. It has very good aromatic complexity with some notes of brick dust and iron, a touch of earth, grounded stones and a full-bodied palate and some dusty tannins. It was a very good vintage, and this wine shows it; it has some austerity, complexity, power and elegance. It was finally bottled in January 2021!
Luis Gutiérrez

Producer website: https://familianinortiz.com/