Put your seat belts on because the 2001 Garnacha Vinas Viejas (an old vine 100% Grenache cuvee), is prodigious! There are 10,000 cases of this offering (15% alcohol) from the estate’s oldest, highest altitude vineyard (100-year old vines planted at 900 meters in 100% slate). It is aged 10% in new French oak and 90% in old barrels and demi-muids. My tasting notes simply read, “no one will believe how great this wine is.” It is similar in style to the 2002, but more complex and richer, with greater texture, and a finish that goes on for 40 seconds. The opaque purple color is followed by a phenomenally rich wine that is pure kirsch mixed with blackberries and minerals. Will we ever see another wine this extraordinary for this price?One cannot bestow enough kudos on importer Eric Solomon for unearthing these treasures. The 2001 old vine Garnacha will age well for a decade, although it will undoubtedly be at its finest during its first 5-6 years of life. P. S. I asked a wine loving friend to taste this on the third day it had been opened. He went ga-ga, and said “what does this cost - $50?”Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565