Price: $75.00
Available At: Eau Claire Wine Market, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Vine Arts, Zyn.ca, Enotecca Specialty Wines in Calgary. In Edmonton, Vines of Riverbend, Baseline Wine, Keg n’ Cork.
Reviewed By: Adrian Bryksa
I remember the wines of Bodegas El Nido when I first visited CSN Wine and Spirits in Calgary in 2007. In the side room, where all the special vintages are kept, I remember seeing the Clio as well as its big brother El Nido and marveling as Andre Kok, the sommelier at the time, described how special they were. Hailing from Jumilla in Spain, they are blends of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon with the Clio being 70% Monastrell and 30% Cab while the El Nido being 70% Cab and 30% Monastrell. They are an outcome of a collaboration between Juan Gil and consulting oenologist Chris Ringland under the Oro Wines umbrella. Year to year, these wines typically score in the 90 to 95 + point range from sources like Robert Parkers Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator and the quality starts in the packaging straight away. The bottle heft here is sizable and the label is made of such a thick, textured stock that it feels like fabric, not paper. Lets see if what is in the bottle deserves the fine external treatment it receives.
This wine was served at 16 degrees Celsius without the aid of decanting. In the glass, this wine has a fully opaque purplish black core and coats the glass with its almost syrupy texture. The nose is powerful blend of crushed violets, black berry, toasted mesquite, espresso and dirty socks with just a bit of licorice, menthol and cola tinged minerality. On the palate, it coats with a full bodied attack of gobs of vanilla and glycerine coated sweet black and blue berries and licorice moving carried by medium acidity to a long, dark finish. The tannins are soft which is surprising for such a fresh vintage and its only detractor is a slight bit of heat on the nose and palate. For those fans of big Zins, Napa Cabs and Aussie Shiraz, this one is going to turn your crank. An absolute, teeth staining monolith at 15.5% alcohol.
Conclusion:
Dare I say this is a wine to try before you die? I am going to say you should as it is a throwback to the early 2000’s with its over-extraction and massive power. The 2008 Clio is an unapologetic fruit bomb and fortunately, the team at Juan Gil with Chris Ringland have made a wine that has power and depth but not boozy. Cool it down ahead of service to around 17 degrees Celsius if drinking now or find a home for it in your cellar for 2 to 5 years aging. It makes a great gift for the hard to buy for oenophile on your shopping list.
94 Points
If you liked this post, check out our coverage of the 2008 Torres Perpetual Priorat
