Whoa! About 18 months ago, I was lucky enough to score a bottle of Esther Nin's delightful 98 Point Priorat - Nit de Nin. I was blown away - depth, character, fruit, minerality, a finish that lasts from here to eternity - the whole nine yards.I begged and pleaded, more please.
A few months later, I was offered a six pack. Swoop- I snatched it up and sold most of it in a minute. Then, out of the blue, I was offered enough for the club. Lucky you!
Here's what Parker had to say:
Nins day job is vineyard manager of Clos Erasmus. A whopping three barrels is produced from 80- to 100-year-old vines from the village of Porrera. The 2005 Nit de Nin is 60% Garnacha, 30% Carinena, and 10% Syrah aged for 18 month in French oak. Purple-colored, the wine has a super-expressive perfume of mineral, truffle, licorice, Asian spices, cassis, kirsch, and blueberry. Smooth-textured, layered, spicy, and a total turn-on, this very long, pleasure-bent wine will evolve for 4-6 years but can be enjoyed now through 2020.
We also have a bottle or two of the Clos Erasmus available if anyone is feeling very flush. (As usual Clos Erasmus is one of Spain's finest wines. The 2006 Clos Erasmus offers an ethereal bouquet of balsam and sandalwood, incense, liquid mineral, black cherry, and black raspberry. Dense, rich, and voluptuous on the palate, it has plenty of well-concealed ripe tannin, tons of fruit, and potential complexity. Give it 5-7 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2015 to 2025. 97 points)
Recipe: Grilled Flank Steak serves 6
With such a massive and profound wine such as this month's Nit de Nin, the best option for food is to go with something simple that echoes the flavors of the wine. Pair the grilled steak with some oven-roasted potatoes for an easy meal that leaves you time to sip and explore this amazing wine.
- 2 pounds flank steak
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
2 Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill rack of your grill with olive oil. Preheat the grill with high, direct heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over it and you can only hold it there for about a second.
3 Take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.
4 Flank steak is best eaten medium rare; well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.
5 Make very thin slices, against the grain, and at a slight diagonal so that the slices are wide.
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