For sommeliers

The wines, at the table.

Sommeliers, like cartographers, draw the borders of taste. Old vintages, like old countries, give them great stories to tell. Because old wines are always new.

“René taught me that wine is born to live, not to die.”Fiona Fischer

Service notes for every wine in the library, written for the people who pour them. Technical sheets in five languages are under each wine below.

Mític

Vintages
2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017
Grapes
Grenache, Cariñena, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing
12–18 months in 500 L French oak, at least 4 years in bottle at the estate
Serve
16–17 °C
Opening
Open an hour ahead; decant the younger vintages
At the table
Red meat, game, Iberian ham, aged cheese
Keeps
10 to 30 years
Technical sheet · PDF

Cronos

Vintages
2007
Grapes
Grenache, Cariñena, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, blended by René Barbier Senior
Ageing
24 months in 330 L French oak, at least 6 years in bottle at the estate
Serve
16–17 °C
Opening
Stand the bottle upright a day before; decant gently off the sediment
At the table
Game, aged cheese, dark chocolate
Keeps
Drinking now; keeps for years
Technical sheet · PDF

Plini

Vintages
2019
Grapes
Cariñena, Syrah, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon
Ageing
12–18 months in 500 L French oak, at least 4 years in bottle
Serve
16–17 °C
Opening
Decant and give it time; it gains with every glass
At the table
Red meat, game, Iberian ham
Keeps
10 to 30 years
Technical sheet · PDF

Blanc de Laurona

Vintages
2021
Grapes
Macabeo 53%, red Grenache 47%
Ageing
On its lees: 70% in 500 L acacia, 30% in 300 L French oak
Serve
10–12 °C
Opening
Do not serve too cold
At the table
Fish, white meat, mature cheese
Keeps
Drinking now
Technical sheet · PDF

Pythagora

Vintages
2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2020
Grapes
100% Grenache, vines 60–80 years, La Figuera
Ageing
18 months in 5,100 L French oak foudres, at least 4 years in bottle
Serve
15–16 °C
Opening
Open 30 minutes ahead
At the table
Lamb, grilled meat, Mediterranean cooking
Technical sheet · PDF

Nautilea

Vintages
2017 · 2018
Grapes
Grenache, Cariñena, Syrah, from Maimó
Ageing
8 months in 5,100 L French oak foudres, 2 years in bottle
Serve
16 °C
Opening
Open 30 minutes ahead
At the table
Grilled vegetables, roast meat
Technical sheet · PDF

L’Irrésistible

Vintages
2022
Grapes
Saignée rosé, aged in acacia
Ageing
Aged in acacia
Serve
10–12 °C
Opening
Serve in a white-wine glass
At the table
Rice dishes, fish, the summer table
Keeps
Around 10 years
Technical sheet · PDF

Super Nova

Vintages
2016 · 2017 · 2018 (2018 also in 75 cl)
Grapes
Grenache from a single vineyard in La Figuera
Ageing
5 months in acacia, 3 years in bottle
Serve
10–12 °C
Opening
The magnum keeps it fresh longer
At the table
Shared plates, celebrations
Technical sheet · PDF
The vertical

Pouring Mític side by side.

VintageHarvestThe yearBlend, %Acidity, g/L
201416 Sep – 22 OctA cool summer, light June hail, then September rain three times the usual: higher acidity, lower alcohol.Syrah 48 · Grenache 29 · Cariñena 14 · Cabernet Sauvignon 94.4
201518 Sep – 26 OctSnow on 4 February covered the vines for three days; then a hot, dry summer and a calm harvest.Syrah 42 · Grenache 30 · Cariñena 21 · Cabernet Sauvignon 84.1
20169 Sep – 1 OctThree days of heavy April rain delayed flowering; wind and sun kept the vines healthy; September 2 °C above average.Syrah 35 · Cariñena 29 · Grenache 26 · Cabernet Sauvignon 84.4
20175 Sep – 2 OctA dry spring, a mild summer with wide day–night swings, and a harvest picked vineyard by vineyard between heavy rains.Cariñena 73 · Grenache 19 · Cabernet Sauvignon 74.5

From the estate’s harvest records.

  1. 01

    Youngest first

    2017, 2016, 2015, then 2014: from the freshest fruit to the most time.

  2. 02

    5 cl each

    The same glass for every vintage, at 16–17 °C.

  3. 03

    One word each

    2014 the freshest, 2015 the year of the snow, 2016 the most open today, 2017 the most different.

  4. 04

    Cronos last

    If you have it, pour Cronos 2007 at the end, to show where the road leads.

Mític, year by year →   The Library Programme →

Contact

Questions from the floor.

A vintage you cannot find, or a staff tasting: write to the winemaker.