2004 PS

I have to say that the 2004 Aalto PS continues to displays a lot of cedar-like new oak on the nose that is only slowly being enveloped in the peppermint-tinged fruit, though with aeration it begins to reveal sensual aromas of gingerbread and Asian spices. The palate has an opulent entry with sweet maraschino and soy-tinged fruit. It has gripping tannins and a tightly wound finish that is primal and intense, with a touch of balsamic on the aftertaste. Drink 2018-2030+. I made a brief but profitable visit to the splendid Aalto winery, the joint venture between ex-Vega Sicilia winemaker Mariano Garcia and Javier Zaccagnini. The impressive, modern-looking facility in which they first vinified the 2005 vintage is incomplete, at least in terms of non-essential accoutrements such as a car park or a tasting room. Javier told me that the five-story winery is based entirely on gravity transfer and is equipped with tools to make the best wine possible. They intend to add the less essential “frills” to the winery once they have repaid the loan, which is soon, apparently. Early vintages from 2000 came from outsourced fruit, though now their wine is sourced entirely from their own plots from several villages (around 110 in total). A tasting of individual lots of the nascent 2011 demonstrated their heterogeneity and so Aalto is a masterclass in the art of blending as much as terroir expression. The “PS” is only produced in the finest vintages from the best plots, which Javier analogized to picking the best players for the Spanish football team. Some older vintages were kindly opened for me as a reference point, although frankly speaking, I felt that they were denuded of the quality of recent vintages since they had to suffice with out-sourced fruit that was vinified in a rented winery back in those early days. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565