Luis Gutierrez – Robert Parker – (Spain)

Tasting notes published on RobertParker.com (June 2019)

Luis Gutierrez is one of the greatest wine experts in Spain; founder of the famous mundovino blog, he is currently responsible for Robert Parker in Spain, Jura, Argentina and Chile. We share the tasting notes of the first vintage of Muchada-Léclapart: 2017, where his valuation of Lumière stands out, to whom he compares it with Jean-François Ganevat, the fashionable vigneron of the Jura and France.

Lumière 2017

I loved the 2017 Lumière, a white Palomino from old vines in the La Platera vineyard in Pago Miraflores that somehow made me think of the white topped-up wines from Jean-François Ganevat in the Jura. It was aromatic and open, very expressive and a bit funky, with faint spices and a touch of clove, but with a superb palate, round and balanced. It felt very harmonious and complex, with ever-changing notes of quince, decayed white flowers, white pepper and some sea breeze. The mouthfeel and texture were dry and chalky, and the finish was long and extremely tasty. This was vinified in well-seasoned Bordeaux barrels, yet it had no aromas or flavors of oak. 94 points

Elixir 2017

The 2017 Elixir is a new dry blend of Palomino and Moscatel grapes. The Paomino comes from old vines in Viña La Platera from Pago Miraflores in Sanlúcar on classical albariza soils and the Moscatel comes from Viña Camino del puerto in the Pago Abulagar in the village of Chipiona on sandy soils with some clay. There is 60% Palomino and 40% Moscatel, and in fermented in Bordeaux oak barrels with indigenous yeasts. It’s perfumed, clean, expressive and showy, with notes of orange blossom, white pepper and a salty twist. The palate is dry, serious, balanced, with focused flavors and a dry finish with a bitter twist. It’s very tasty, long a clean. 4000 bottles filled in May 2018. 92 points

Univers 2017

The white 2017 Univers is pure Palomino from 20-year-old vines that are organically and biodynamically farmed in the La Paltera vineyard in Pago Miraflores in Sanlúcar on albariza soils. This is their entry-level Palomino from the California clone, from a single vineyard and bottles after nine months in contacto with the lees, which represents quite well what they want todo: dry, unfortified whites that are fresh, salty and tasty, very different from what people aure used to from Jerez. They do not really like fortified wines, but some are fermented in sherry casks, from which they might get some of the sherry character, but not this one. They do not want to call themselves “natural” or anything, but they try to do the wines in the most natural way possible without deviations, off aromas or volatility. This is clean and with a mixture of floral and fruit aromas, critus hints and a yeasty twist. The palate is light and quite fresh (2017 was a very warm year), very tasty and long, and with the umami, almost salty, touch in the finish. 6000 bottles were filled in May 2018. 90 points