Item Number: 6093 UPC: 8437008409450

Country: Spain
Region: Murcia Sub Region: Murcia
Appellation/AVA: Yecla DO
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2010
Grape(s): 50% Monastrell / 50% Syrah
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750ml Pack: 12
Closure: Screwcap
Alc by Vol(%): 14
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Soil Type: Limestone and chalk with clay and gravel subsoils
Elevation: 2,339 feet
Nabucco (formerly known as Nabuko) is an estate-bottled wine from the oldest continuous wine family in the Yecla DO region. The wine’s name refers to an opera written by Verdi. The combination of Monastrell and Syrah results in a complete wine. Monastrell provides structure while Syrah adds aromas of violets, chocolate and black pepper. Since its establishment in 1925, Señorío de Barahonda has sold Monastrell grapes to wineries across Spain and France. Today, the Candela family and winemaker Araceli Gonzalez make top Monastrell wines with their great raw material by resurrecting traditional winemaking techniques of this region, including the use of open-topped fermenters and maceration with the stems. Located in the warmer southeast part of Spain, Yecla is one of the country’s oldest wine regions, with a rich history that dates back to the 6th Century. Over the last decade, the astounding rediscovery of Yecla by American journalists and consumers has prompted international acclaim for wines based on Monastrell, a grape native to Spain. Around the 5-6th Century, Monastrell was brought to France, where it’s called Mourvèdre. 

Vinification: Harvest takes place in the cool, early morning hours, when the best bunches are selected and undergo a gentle crush. Whole clusters with stems undergo maceration at a cool temperature (59°F). Each grape variety is fermented separately. After fermentation, the skins and stems are kept together in a post-fermentation extended maceration for 7 days. Malolactic fermentation occurs in stainless steel tank. After aging for 2-3 months in oak barrels, two years old, the Monastrell and Syrah are blended. After one month in tank, the wine is bottled. 

Tasting Notes: Dark ruby. Blackberry, cassis and violet on the nose. Refreshingly bitter cherry and dark berry skin flavors are enlivened by zesty minerality and pick up subtle licorice and cracked pepper qualities with air. Finishes with youthfully firm tannins and good focus, leaving dark berry and floral notes behind. Try Nabucco with blue cheese, stews, spicy chili and similar hearty dishes. This wine has the heft on the palate and spice to pair well with BBQ with serious heat, pulled pork sliders and “five alarm” BBQ chicken wings.

88pts (2012 vintage) Wine Advocate 8/2013
"Yecla is a treasure trove of tasty, beefy, surprisingly fun-filled red wines, usually dominated by Monastrell (Mourvedre) blended with other grapes, particularly Syrah and Bordeaux varietals. Made from an identical blend and given a similar upbringing, the 2012 Nabucco may have more weight than its sibling, in addition to lots of delicious black currant and blackberry fruit intermixed with hints of roasted meats, bouquet garni and licorice. This tasty, supple, richly fruity, irresistible red wine should be drunk over the next 2-3 years."