Familia Nin Ortiz - Planetes de Nin Carinyena Blanc 2022 (750ml)
Price: $45.00
| Producer | Familia Nin Ortiz |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Catalonia [Catalunya] |
| Subregion | Priorat |
| Varietal | White Blend |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 6427 |
| Size | 750ml |
After studying oenology at university Ester Nin settled in Priorat in 2000 began working for Mas Martinet. She now works as viticulturist for Daphne Glorian at Clos i Terraces. But in 2003 she began a side project called Nit de Nin, buying a 1.5 hectare high altitude plot of vines growing in blue and black slate on a north facing slope.
Charles Ortiz had moved to the region from Barcelona and owned 18 hectares of vines in Finca las Planetes which he had bought in 1998, the grapes from which he sought to sell, in part to Clos I Terraces. It was at Clos I terraces that Ester and Charles met and out of that gestated the Family Nin-Otiz Label.
The first wine - from Planetes - was produced was in 2008. Now they produce five different Priorats and two wines from further afield in Penedes.
There are no terraced vineyards here. The slopes, located called costers - must as a result be worked by man and mule. High density planting is used for the Carignan used in the partida Planetes cuvee, which they believe gives smaller grapes and allows fo the inclusion of stems during fermentation.
Of the Priorats the two tops level wines are Mas en cacador and Coma d’en Romeu - these both from old vines. From younger vines three different Planetes are made.
There is a recognition that the types of shist in Priorat vary greatly. In Planetes the schist has more iron - giving a deeper wine with spice notes. Under Mas d’en Calcador the shist includes layers of clay and as a result is more friable. Coma d’en Remeu is different again, the shist having and browner tone and containg more silica.
The estate is organic. Grapes are a mix of Grenache, Carignan and a grape that appears to be a blend of the two called Garnacha Peluda. Maceration is a long four or five weeks with carefully sorted grapes, with particular focus on eliminating any raised grapes. Punch downs are once per day. Aging is in 3000L Foudre for the Partida, whereas Nin de Nin is in barrels of varying sizes. Some wine is aged in amphorae.
Wine Advocate: 93 Points
The 2022 Planetes de Nin Carinyena Blanca (Carignan White or Vi Blanc de Varietats Antigues) is slightly different as the slopes planted with the variety just entered in production that year. The grapes ripened well and 30% of the blend was macerated with skins for 30 days in a concrete egg. It has a nose of pollen and yellow fruit hints of quince the effect of the skin contact very subtle some dry straw a little more Mediterranean. It has only 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.2 with five grams of acidity. 6120 bottles produced. In 2023 they didn't do the maceration with the skins. Carles Ortiz and Ester Nin produce 30000 bottles 100% of them with grapes from their own vineyards. All of their vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic but they still don't have the certification for the wines. 2021 was an atypical year with a big snowstorm in January a cooler year but not as much as 2013 2010 or 2018 and they said it was a more Mediterranean version of 2020. They harvested late the alcohol was lower (they had some difficulties to achieve the minimum alcohol required by the appellation in some wines) and the wines are fresher but the ripeness was good (looking at the polyphenols and so on). There will be a new Garnacha from young vines in La Coma d'en Romeu. They have been planting small plots (and replacing dead vines) in their old vineyards a trend that I see in many producers as they have to get ready for the future; if you want old vines in 50 years from now you have to plant them now! They are also extremely worried about the lack of water and have dug a well in their Planetes vineyard that gives them very little water but at least it's something. Unfortunately Cariñena Blanca the white mutation of Cariñena is still not approved by the Priorat appellation mainly because it's a grape that delivers wines with moderate alcohol?a blessing in the warm climate a grape resistant to drought and pat for the climate change?usually below what the appellation requires (13% for whites). They had applied for an exception to this rule for the wines produced with Cariñena Blanca to be allowed at 12.5% alcohol but it was rejected. So after 11 vintages their white is still an experimental wine. Published: May 16 2024
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