Every where I go at the moment I see bottles of Flor de Pingus 2005 for sale or on the wine list. This is a good thing, but I rarely have the couple of hundred dollars required to pick up a bottle in a restaurant. One of the many things I love about Spain is the low markups on wine in restaurants, it is often the same price as retail, sometimes even cheaper. Plus many will let you buy bottles off the list to take home. Very civilised.

If you’ve read my ramblings on the Cillar de Silos 2006 wines, you will get a picture that this vintage was a bit of a challenge in the region and it came down to, good vineyard management, picking the fruit at the right time and good sorting. Of course Pingus are at the top of the game and have out together a very convincing 2006 Flor de Pingus.

A very similar nose to the 2005: mocha coffee, earthy, smokey herbs, cola, dark cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, plus a hint of anise. It is a fairly full on nose and it leads you to expect a very powerfully flavoured and full bodied experience in the mouth, however its all bravado. It’s just into full bodied territory at the moment, but this will mellow out as it ages, the flavours are complex and intense, not overpowering however. Blackcurrant, red cherry, andblueberry with cola and some minerals in the mouth. A big, tangy finish with supple tannins. I like this a lot, and it was excellent with a well aged steak at La Luna. The good thing is that this will be a pleasure to drink over the next 15 years at least, but give it a big decant if you’re going to open one now. 94+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $195 Closure: Conventional Cork