The much more serious 2013 Clos d'Agon Blanco, sold under the Catalunya appellation rather than Empordà, contains 40% Roussane, 40% Viognier and 20% Marssanne, and has a creamy feeling to it while the palate is lively and balanced with fine minerality and a very tasty finish. This is a white designed for the long haul, with concentration and balanced power, reminiscent of some examples from the Rh?ne. 7,500 bottles.

There is a big qualitative difference between the white Amic and the 2012 Clos d'Agon Blanco, sold under the Catalunya appellation rather than Empordà despite being produced with grapes grown in the region and produced in the same winery because the unusual blend of 40% each Viognier and Roussane and 20% Marssanne. Those grapes are not considered in the appellation's rules. It has a very smoky, yeasty and spicy nose, possibly after the seven months of battonage and aging in barrel with the lees giving it a Mediterranean-Burgundian character. The nose shows a core of white flowers and yellow fruit and the palate has some honeyed flavors denoting some evolution, but good acidity and stuffing to provide for a nice development in bottle where it should gain more nuances. 7,000 bottles produced.

The 2011 Clos D'Agon Blanc is an unusual blend of 39% Roussane, 39% Viognier and 22% Marssanne where only 30% of the wine is fermented and aged for six months in oak barrels and the rest ages in stainless steel vats. It has a subtle nose with plenty of balsamic aromas of dried herbs and fennel, white fruits and a whiff of smoke and sweet spices, very harmonious and elegant. The palate is round, with glossy fruit, dense but not heavy, which feels quite Mediterranean, with a long aftertaste coming through as an intense, full of character white. Seven thousand bottles were produced in 2011. I’d be curious to see the evolution of this white in bottle. Drink now-2017. Clos d’Agon was created in 1993 by a French couple, but was sold in 1999 to a group of investors from Switzerland, among them importer Frank Ebinger. Since that year Peter Sisseck of Pingus fame in Ribera del Duero has been the technical advisor for the wine production. They own 16 hectares of vines in Calonge, province of Gerona. They produce a total of 50,000 bottles under Catalunya and Emporda appellations, as some of the grapes they use are not allowed in Emporda. These are the top red and white form the winery, both exceptional. Importer: Adrian Chalk Selections, Angels' Share Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (917) 553-0557

The 2010 Blanco (tasted from a tank sample) offers up aromas of mineral, bee’s wax, melon, and stone fruits leading to a creamy, intense impression on the palate. It has excellent balance and a lengthy finish. A tasting of several of the older vintages suggests that the wine is capable of evolving for 2-3 years and drinking well for 6-8. Clos d’Agon, a partnership of six Swiss “friends of wine”, began as a virtual garage winery in 1999 before construction was completed on the new facility in 2005. Located in a beautiful area of Colonge (Girona) but outside the boundaries of any prestigious DO, the wine is forced to carry the generic Catalunya DO. The owners hired Peter Sisseck of Dominio Pingus as a consultant, a sign of wisdom (or Swiss business acumen). The white wine is typically a blend of 45% Roussanne, 35% Viognier, and 20% Marsanne with percentages varying slightly from year to year. A part of the wine is aged for 6-7 months in seasoned oak, the balance in stainless steel. Native yeasts are preferred and used when possible and clarification is done only if necessary. The Clos d’Agon Tinto’s blend has evolved over the years. Currently a typical vintage is made up of 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Syrah, 15% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The wine generally spends 16 months in barrel, 50% new, with each variety vinified separately. Both the 2010 and 2009 were barrel samples. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

The 2009 Blanco exhibits a similar personality but offers greater depth and potential complexity. It will be at its best from 2012 to 2017. Clos d’Agon, a partnership of six Swiss “friends of wine”, began as a virtual garage winery in 1999 before construction was completed on the new facility in 2005. Located in a beautiful area of Colonge (Girona) but outside the boundaries of any prestigious DO, the wine is forced to carry the generic Catalunya DO. The owners hired Peter Sisseck of Dominio Pingus as a consultant, a sign of wisdom (or Swiss business acumen). The white wine is typically a blend of 45% Roussanne, 35% Viognier, and 20% Marsanne with percentages varying slightly from year to year. A part of the wine is aged for 6-7 months in seasoned oak, the balance in stainless steel. Native yeasts are preferred and used when possible and clarification is done only if necessary. The Clos d’Agon Tinto’s blend has evolved over the years. Currently a typical vintage is made up of 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Syrah, 15% Merlot, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The wine generally spends 16 months in barrel, 50% new, with each variety vinified separately. Both the 2010 and 2009 were barrel samples. Importer: Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565