2009 Neo Punta Esencia

The 2009 Punta Escencia is again, pure Tempranillo that is sourced from 85-year-old vines in La Horra. It has a more floral, decidedly more exotic bouquet than the 2009 Neo with blood orange, dark chocolate and a touch of potpourri with moderate definition. The palate is full-bodied with thick chewy tannins: layers of cocoa-tinged black fruits with a dense, heavyweight finish that I find a little oppressive. I cannot recollect many winery visits where I have been escorted to a fully equipped recording studio. Still, I cannot recollect many wineries like Bodegas Neo, which is so hip that it must have been modeled on Warhol’s “The Factory” (albeit without drugs and occasional shooting.) Proprietor Javier Ajenjo is a man like me: as passionate about music as wine, although personally I do not organize highly successful music festivals – I just don’t have the time and my back garden is not big enough. I wondered whether the music might be too much of a diversion for Bodegas Neo, but I did not find that to be the case. These are generally soundly made, perhaps in a way, oddly conservative wines that might not be the most complex that you can find in Ribera del Duero, but are delicious in their own way. Search “Yani Como” on Youtube to check out Javier’s band. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565