Bodegas El Nido - Clio Jumilla 2021

A blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in French and American oak. The wine exhibits a glass-coating opaque purple color. The nose is expressive with pain grille, underbrush, brier, minerality, blueberry and blackberry fruit. On the palate is a plush, opulent wine with great density, savory flavors, and a lengthy finish. Bodegas El Nido is a collaboration of the Gil Family and winemaker Chris Ringland, one of the best Australian enologists. The winery is located in the Valle de La Aragona, inside the Murcia district of Jumilla. The vineyards are 76.8 acres of very old Monastrell vines (also known as Mataró or Mourvèdre) all vaso trained and oriented northeast, and 28.8 acres of 30-year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines on north facing hills. The vineyards have a foot deep layer of chalky stones over substrata of sandy soil.

Not yet reviewed; 2020 vintage rated 91 points by James Suckling and Falstaff Guide, which wrote: "An intense bouquet with notes of red berries, plum, hints of nougat and milk chocolate and a subtle wood savouriness. Voluminous and powerful on the palate with vivid wood notes and confit dark berries. Polished tannins and a long finish with hints of caramel and liquorice."

"The 2021 Clio is ripe and heady with 16% alcohol and generous oak. It's faithful to the house style, but like many other wines from the 2021 vintage from the Gil family, this also came through as fresher and more balanced than the 2020 counterpart. It has a full-bodied palate with abundant but finer tannins."-Luis Gutierrez

"This muscular red finds fine balance and poise, integrating firm, sculpted tannins and bright orange peel acidity. Offers rich and expressive flavors of boysenberry and blackberry coulis, licorice, singed apple wood and ground coffee. Hints of toast, tar and dried mint and thyme linger on the fine-grained finish. Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon."-Allison Napjus