José L. Ferrer Reserva Especial  Dosmil  (2000) "Luis Maraver", D.O. Binissalem - Mallorca. **HERITAGE WINE**

Colour: deep red with mature browning.
Nose: expressive, soft, spicy, with warm and mature fruit nuances, very complex and refined, unique aroma pattern reminding me of a sweet Jurançon and Monbazillac, with impressions of pineapple, honey and mushrooms (ceps), but also "cigar box" cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, flowers, mint, raisins, pepper, great depth and multi layered, excellent balance, great and unique character, surprising and exciting style for a red wine, one to be cherished.
Taste: very soft and elegant, but also warm and rich, medium powerful with minerals some marked, spicy tannins, good acidity with round, soft and velvety impressions with loads of imbedded subtle nuances of spice, (tertiary) fruit, vanilla, herbs, earth and a touch 0f smoke, great length and depth, excellent balance, great (but hidden) aromatic power, not overwhelming, but well dosed, seemingly loose structure, impressive and great.
Finish: very long, fanning out,  with great character, velvety soft and intense, subtle and powerful, superbly imbedded tannins, impressive aromatic diversity, great finish.
 

* An exciting, unique and great wine mainly from indigenous grape varieties with a warm, unctuous velvety softness, stunning aromatic depth and diversity with an impressive refinement, not based on structure but on a unique diversity of aromatic impressions of spice fruit, and earth. Not cheap, but has a good price / quality ratio compared to other (reputed) great wines.

- This wine is fully mature now, but the intensity and balance makes me expect it will keep easily for some years, at least to 2007, maybe longer.

- Who would expect a great wine to emerge from Mallorca? For me it was a surprise. What struck me most in this wine is its unique array of aroma's and its focus on aromatic diversity and not on structure.  These days greatness of a wine most of the times is associated with power and structure. This wine takes its own unique route of a seemingly loose structure combined with an aromatic symphony. No doubt the endemic Manto Negro grape (62% of the blend) is responsible for a large proportion of this character.  The other grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (28%), Tempranillo (8%) and Callet (2%). Maturation on new oak barrels of mixed provenance: 21 months. This wine is very concentrated and certainly has a lot of structure, but you hardly notice it, at least it does not stand out, no attention is drawn to the structure, the aromatics and the velvety mouth feel excel. Absorbing 21 month of new wood so well as this wine has done dictates very concentrated and first class raw materials (grapes).
With the world's focus on Bordeaux,  Rhône, Ribera del Duero, etc. this wine proves there is more than just these great names to enjoy.  A "tunnel vision" prevents wine enthusiasts from exploring exiting, unique and great wines such as this.

- (lotnr.:) bottle nr.: 2584

- tasted: 21-10-’05

- estimated retail price ca. 40  euro

- production: 5143 (0,75 l.) bottles, 603 magnums (1,5 l.)

- José L. Ferrer, Mr. Xavier Cartañá, C. Conquistador 103, 07350 Binissalem / Mallorca - Islas Baleares, Spain;  Tel: +34 971511050 ; Fax: +34 971870084 ;  e-mail: export@vinosferrer.com  web site: www.vinosferrer.com