Until now, the market seemed flooded with Spanish Monastrell, and I was beginning to think it was being mass-produced to satisfy consumer trends (remember New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 5 years ago and Australian Shiraz in the ‘90s?). Then one day, totally unsolicited, Valcanto ’05 came across my desk and completely transformed my opinion of the category. What I tasted had a soul…..a union of blue fruit, cacao and wet rock. The vines are planted in super-high-altitude vineyards in Almansa that consist entirely of tiny stones. As it turns out, the importer, on sampling the juice, persuaded producer Piqueras to bottle it and release it exclusively to the States. I was delighted to have discovered it, and am honored to offer it to you at such a reasonable price. –Michael Koehler-
