2016 Venus La Universal BIO

Sara Pérez is the wife of René Barbier, who produces the famous Clos Mogador, Espectacle, and Manyetes. Sara Pérez also heads the family estate, Clos Martinet. She also works closely with her brother, Adria, at Cims de Porrera. Her father, José Luis Pérez, a key figure in the Spanish wine world, is proud of his children. He remains active in various wine projects. Together with her husband, René Barbier (Clos Mogador), Sara Pérez owns and vinifies two superb wines at Venus La Universal. As a tribute to every small food producer from the 1920s who aspired to become great, Sara named this mini-estate Compania Universal de Vinos. There, at "La Uni," as she likes to call it, she created what she considers the mother of all feminine wines: Venus. And "Dido" is the more than exemplary daughter of "Venus." New is the Dido Blanco, a complex white wine made with Macabeo and Garnacha Blanca, partially fermented in French oak. The wine deserves some bottle aging and is best served in large glasses. Elegant, feminine wines with plenty of style.

The Venus is La Universal's flagship wine. Only around 6,000 bottles are produced, and global importers receive a small annual allocation of this fine wine. As Sarah herself describes it, the Venus is an attempt to express femininity, the earth, through a bottle of wine: Here too, they use local grapes such as Carinyena (Carignan), Garnatxa (Grenache), and Syrah, based on the strong belief that the historically local grapes belong to a terroir and yield the finest results there.

The wine comes from four plots of Grenache and Carignan, grown on old vines, located between Pinyana and Crossos. The vineyard faces both north and south (hence the warmth and coolness). The grapes are harvested, selected, and processed separately, but ultimately (and this is unique for this wine) they try to ferment everything simultaneously. The wine is fermented for a full 28-32 days in open, 500-liter wooden tanks. After fermentation, the wine is allowed to mature in a 4000-liter barrel and a 300-liter barrel (combined at bottling) for 20-24 months.

In the glass, the Venus has a sparkling ruby red color with a nose of dark fruit and spice. The palate is minerally, lush, and juicy, with a wonderful balance between fruit and acidity. This is a beautifully elegant and enveloping wine; it's truly delicious, perfect for pairing with food, especially traditional Mediterranean cuisine or a fine piece of grilled meat. Naturally, it's ethically sourced and organic, as this wine is also produced.

Parker (95/100) writes: " .... Amazing wines of character "