The mealy, herbal and balsamic 2012 Finca Espolla showed less oak than the other reds in its price range. It's a Mediterranean blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Monastrell and 20% Garnacha Tinta aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months. The palate is also softer, and the tannins less drying, but it's still intensely oaky and difficult to guess what grapes went into the blend, as the wood tends to cover the character. 14,700 bottles.

Kirsch, currant, licorice, cola and chocolate flavors mingle in this bold red, backed by light, firm tannins and balsamic acidity. Expressive and raucous, in the modern style. Drink now. 2,083 cases made, 300 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Empordà Select to Add

If the Finca Malave?na was all about oak, the 2011 Finca Espolla is all about balsam: Tiger balm, Vicks Vaporub, cola nuts and eucalyptus will all be in your glass. I wonder if it is the commercial yeasts or the 15 months of élevage in brand new French barrels... If you need some balsamic healing this is for you. If you care that this is 75% Syrah, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Garnacha Tinta it will be difficult to see. Maybe time would help to diminish these excesses. 24,843 bottles were produced.

The 2010 Finca Espolla is a blend of 50% Monastrell, 30% Syrah and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels, and it is extremely balsamic and medicinal with pungent aromas of eucalyptus, fennel and caramel. The palate feels warm, with abundant tannins and a slightly clipped finish. The varietal blend and the wood regime make it feel quite international. Drink now-2017. Castillo Perelada has been for many years the leading winery in Emporda, as it was created back in 1923. The winery produces a wide range of still and sparkling wines. They work 126 hectares of vineyards and produce an average of 1.5 million bottles per year. The wines have a commercial profile and tend to be quite marked by the oak aging, but some, like the 2011 Ex Ex 10, can be truly exceptional. Importer: Perelada Comercial MHW, Ltd., Manhasset, NY; tel. (516) 869-9170

The 2009 Finca Espolla is a blend of 60% Monstrell and 40% Syrah from young vines cultivated on black and volcanic slate soils. Aged for 16 months in new French Allier oak, it has an intense, white fennel, peppermint-tinged, orange sorbet-scented bouquet that could easily come from McClaren Vale. The palate is smooth and harmonious, with fine tannins encasing pure dark plum and blackberry fruit laced with liquorice. However, the oak renders the finish a little generic compared to the sensual aromatics. That should melt away with time to reveal a very well-structured Emporda red. Drink 2014-2019. My first visit to Emporda was to Castillo Perelada, one of the driving forces behind the resurgence of viticulture in this region, where I undertook a comprehensive tasting of both present and past releases. Wine has been made at the Castillo since medieval times. Then in 1923, wealthy businessman Miguel Mateu bought the estate and he sought to revive winemaking tradition both here and in Emporda itself. I tasted the wines with his grandson Javier Suque. He explained how they are using satellite technology to map the vineyard, to such an extent that it made Bordeaux seem Luddite in comparison. It was an interesting set of wines with notable successes and others that missed the mark, and it was also fascinating to taste a vertical of the “Ex Ex” series of experimental wines that customers can subscribe to. The concept here is not to create the ultimate wine each year, but to try new things, toy with varieties and picking dates, to learn from experience. As you can see, the results I found were hit and miss, but I applaud someone who tries out new things and those that do subscribe are in for a ride. Following this, I was afforded an illuminating vertical of previous vintages, some of which have been rated by The Wine Advocate in previous issues. This vertical led me to one simple conclusion: Finca Garbet works best as a pure Syrah, as was the case in 2005 and 2007. The addition of Cabernet Sauvignon seems to knock it off balance and is distracting. I also tasted through a vertical of Castillo Perlada’s experimental “Ex Ex” series. The first two Ex Ex wines were sourced from the “Malaveina” vineyard. Importer: Perelada Comercial, NY; www.perladacomercial.com