The 2012 Cigonyes is a blend of 65% Garnacha, 18% Syrah and 17% Tempranillo aged for ten months in used oak barrels with a nose of very ripe black fruit and a straightforward palate with some oak tannins. Drink now. 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 2011 Cigonyes Tinto is the second vintage, a blend of 90% Garnacha and 10% Syrah from 50-year-old vines, aged for 5 months in second fill French barrels. It has a very fresh, expressive bouquet with ebullient ripe blackberry and boysenberry fruit with hints of cassis bubbling to the surface with aeration. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry with pretty dark plum and blueberry fruit that leads to a simple but well-balanced finish that is fresh, vibrant and fruity. To put it bluntly, this is just delicious and for under twenty dollars, it delivers a big mouthful of pleasure. Drink now-2016. 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