The 2005 Etim L’Esparver is a blend of 45% Garnacha, 45% Carinena, and the balance Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine went through malolactic fermentation in 500-liter French oak after which it spent 20 months in barrique. Opaque purple-colored, the wine offers up a sexy nose of herbs, sage, crushed stone, black cherry, and blackberry liqueur which comes blasting from the glass. Layered, opulent, firm, and muscular, this large-scaled, lengthy wine should be cellared for 8-10 years. It should be at its best from 2015 to 2035.
Importer: Patrick Mata, Ole Imports; www.oleimports.com