The 2012 Nas del Gegant is an unoaked blend of Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from a warm vintage but has a fresh herbaceous nose with hints of fresh herbs, red and black fruit and a light to medium-bodied palate with pure and clean flavors of raspberry leaf, quite pungent and long. I think bottling this kind of wine young works well. There were 8,000 bottles produced. Drink now-2017. Joan Ramon Escoda started this project in 2003 and has 8.5 hectares of vineyards in Conca de Barbera. His wines are produced in the “natural” style, without addition of sulfur. As is often the case I find that whites behave better in this style. Importer: Vin de Terra Imports, Springfield, VA; tel. (703) 731-2058

The 2010 Nas del Gegant is a natural wine with 7 milligrams per liter total SO2. It has a soft, sensual nose of brambly red fruit with touches of undergrowth and rose petals. The palate has a little spritz on the entry and very supple, caressing tannins that lead to a precise, mulberry and plum-infused finish that has both intensity and lightness of touch. Drink now-2015. I am uncertain whether the wines of this Conca de Barbera estate continue to be imported into the United States. Having tasted the wines in the UK, they should be. Escoda-Sanahuja produces natural wines under biodynamic principles along a closed system, i.e., there are horses, cows and poultry running around and “doing their bit.” The wines are unfiltered, not fined or stabilized and no sulphur is used. Having worked in the trade, I am fully aware of the issues faced when customers return bottles that have oxidized, so I can only report on the bottles that I tasted myself, which were generally outstanding and individualistic. Winemaker Joan Escoda’s wines are not for everybody’s taste, but I found them endlessly fascinating and the bottom line is...they were delicious. Importer: Jonas Gustafsson, Vin de Terra Imports, Springfield, VA; tel. (703) 731-2058; www.indigowine.com in the UK.