R. Parker (94/100)
Cariñena Blanca has finally been added to the registry of varieties in Spain, which means it should soon be allowed by the Priorat appellation, so they could start putting it on the labels of the 2018 Planetes de Nin Carinyena Blanca. This fermented and matured in used 300-liter oak barrels for seven months. It's 13% alcohol and has a pH of 3.2 with 6.5 grams of acidity (tartaric); they struggled to get the minimum 13% alcohol required by the appellation, as the year was very cold and they lost a lot of grapes waiting for the alcohol level. It's a year with lots of freshness, and the wine, which feels really young and undeveloped, needs some time in the glass to open up. This is an exceptional year that is going to develop slowly in bottle. The palate is vibrant, focused and dry, with citrus freshness and a mineral finish. 1,948 bottles were filled in April 2018.