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Bodegas El Nido is a Spanish winery in the Jumilla DO of Murcia. It is a joint venture between Gil Family Wine Estates, a Spanish winemaking family whose most famous estate is Bodegas Juan Gil, and esteemed Australian winemaker Chris Ringland. El Nido focuses on a small production of premium red wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. The wines have received critical praise including consistently high scores from critic Robert Parker.
The partnership between Ringland and the Gil family began in 2001, and produced the inaugural vintage of El Nido a year later. The winery is in the Aragona Valley inside Jumilla, where the high-altitude vineyards are planted on northeast-facing terraces between 2300-2800ft (700-850m) above sea level. 32 hectares (80 acres) are planted to Monastrell, 12ha (30 acres) to Cabernet Sauvignon and a tiny plot is planted to Syrah. El Nido makes three wines all at premium prices. The two most prominent wines are blends of Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon – each as the dominant variety. The third is a small production wine made from 100 percent Syrah. All three wines are finished with long periods of barrel aging in new French and American oak, averaging two years for each. Bodegas El Nido's total annual production is small at roughly 2,500 cases.
El Nido
The grapes for this wine are made from 12 Ha -29.65 acres- of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and 32 Ha -79 acres- of very old Monastrell, with a very low yield. The grapes are harvested with small baskets to prevent bruising. The bunches are brought to triage tables where the best ones are selected. It spends 24 months in French and American new oak barrels where it gets a very typical complexity
*Rated 91-97 points for the past 13 consecutive years by acclaimed wine critics.
Vertical Tasting
2003 – 97 Points Robert Parker “The inky purple 2003 El Nido, which comes from 26-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines (70%) and 61-year-old Mourvedre (30%), was aged 26 months in new French and American oak barrels. It exhibits leathery, creme de cassis, and pain grille characteristics, additional tannin and body, and a formidable palate. A wine of extraordinary extract and richness, it will be a target for old timers and reactionaries who will feel it is too internationally styled, but it is an eye-opening wine from an area better known for large cooperatives and mediocre quality. It should evolve for 15 or more years”
2004- 99 Points Robert Parker “The consulting winemaker at Bodegas El Nido is Chris Ringland of Barossa Valley fame. Amazingly, the 2004 El Nido is even better. It is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell sourced from the same vineyards as its sibling but from the tenderloin portions, and it received the same oak treatment. Similar in color, the nose offers a beautiful perfume of pain grille, vanilla, forest floor, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. The wine is more elegant on the palate with a velvety texture, layers of spicy black fruits, and great depth and balance. It admirably marries elegance and power. Cellar this fabulous wine for 3-4 years and drink it over the following 10-15.
2005- 98 Points Robert Parker “The 2005 El Nido is a selection of the best grapes from the same vineyards. Opaque purple-colored, it has even better perfume than Clio. Already complex, it offers up a toasty aromatic array of violet, lavender, espresso, chocolate, blueberry compote, and blackberry liqueur. Smooth-textured and dense, the wine is rich and mouth-filling. It has a decade of aging potential at the least but is so juicy now that it would pair well with a 60-day dry-aged rib eye. It will show best between 2015 and 2030
2006- 97 Points Robert Parker “The 2006 El Nido is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell aged for 26 months in new oak. Aromas of wild blueberry and black currant are room-filling. Dense, layered, and totally hedonistic, it has serous depth and concentration, impeccable balance, and a 60-second finish. A bit more structured than Clio, it will have a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2026”
2009- 92 Points Robert Parker “So on to the flagship 2009 El Nido: a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell raised in French and American oak, limited to just 1,200 bottles. I will give it to you straight: this is not my style and it exists as an anathema to those with a penchant for -traditional- Spanish wine. And yet for its type, I think it is extremely well made. The 15.5% alcohol is cunningly disguised on the nose that delivers copious creme de cassis, blueberry jam and kirsch aromas, while the full-bodied palate is velvet smooth, luscious, decadent and still somehow balanced. After professionally analyzing this wine, I took one bottle to a friend and the group of four absolutely adored it. I took another and served it blind and she admired it but said it made her feel sick after one glass. So for sure, El Nido is not to everyone's taste and you know what? It probably doesn't care a hoot about that! But the bottom line is that if I were in a hedonistic mood, then this is probably where I would come. Drink 2014-2022”
93 Points Wine Spectator “Blackberry, currant, licorice, dark chocolate and espresso flavors mingle in this rich, expressive red. The oak and fruit are well-balanced, supported by integrated tannins and lively acidity. A big wine, in the modern style. Drink now through 2020” 33 cases imported.
93 Points Wine Enthusiast “Dense, cool and masculine on the nose, this has aromas of prune, cola, tobacco, cheese and leather. It feels silky and soft, showing maximum ripeness and excellent balance. It tastes of ripe berry, stewed plum, spice and tobacco. Complex and classy on the finish”
2010 – 92 Points Robert Parker “All vintages, and in fact all wines, follow a very similar pattern, so there's not a lot new to say about the 2010 El Nido (70% Monastrell and the rest Cabernet, aged for 23 months in barrel) and it seems to follow the pattern of faster evolution like the rest of 2010; something that is a bit puzzling for a vintage that generally speaking was really good and almost textbook. The nose opens to balsamic notes with plenty of oak-related aromas, spices, alcohol, ripe plums and oxidative notes. The palate reveals masses of slightly chunky, rustic tannins and the fruit seems to be fading, so I'd opt for drinking it sooner rather than later. 6,000 bottles.
92 Points Wine Spectator “Kirsch, black currant, licorice, balsamic and black pepper mingle in this rich, muscular red. A dense texture carries deep flavors that stay harmonious and fresh through the spicy finish. A big wine, in the modern style. Better than previously reviewed. Drink now through 2020. 400 cases made”
2011 – 94 Points Robert Parker “The super-top cuvée of Monastrell with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011 El Nido ferments in open vats and ages in barriques for 23 months. This wine routinely reaches 15.5% alcohol even in cooler vintages like 2010 and in a riper one like 2011 it reads 16% on the label. This wild red wine is oaky, showy, ripe and in-your-face. The palate is full-bodied offering masses of concentration and tannins along with pungent flavors lifted by the alcohol. It's a tasty, umami-like mix of bitter and sweet sensations. This XXXL wine is not for the faint of heart and follows a particular style. It is still raw, but it should age well. 6,000 bottles were produced"
94 Points Wine Spectator This powerful and energetic red has a muscular structure that delivers rich flavors of currant, tobacco, anise, espresso and loamy earth. Finds a balance between ripe fruit and big tannins, and culminates in a smoky, spicy finish. Best from 2015 through 2025. 500 cases made.
93 Points Wine Enthusiast “Rich blackberry and graphite aromas are ripe and heavy but magnetic. The palate on this blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell is extracted and mega ripe. Baked black fruit, chocolate and fig comprise the flavor profile on this rich red that tips the scales as a heavyweight. Drink through 2018.
2012 - 91 Points Wine Spectator “Dense yet lively, this expressive red shows black cherry, cranberry, licorice and cola flavors, with lively acidity and chewy tannins. A bit raw, but has plenty of stuffing. Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. Best from 2016 through 2026. 400 cases made”
90 Points Wine Enthusiast “Giant out of the blocks, this full-bodied, midnight-black bruiser delivers a heavy blast of graphite, vanilla, coconut, char and blackberry on the nose. A heavy, tannic, borderline syrupy palate is appropriate for flavors of toasted coconut, vanilla and oak. A chocolaty finish loaded with barrel resin is rich and heady. This is an extracted heavyweight from a warm year. Some will love it; others will find it too oaky and overripe. Drink through 2021”
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