2014 La Encina Centenaria Monastrell Old Vines Alicante 750 ml

The 2014 La Encina Centenaria is an irresistible red that defies the logic of modern pricing, and California Cabernet drinkers and lovers of plush, ripe reds need look no further for their next favorite red. From the sun-baked stretches of southeastern Spain, it not only packs a ton of old-vine concentration into the bottle, but boasts the impressive balance and freshness we love in the world’s best Cabernets. 

This 2014 continues the impressive tradition of Juan Gil, the producer who introduced many New World drinkers to the untapped potential of southern Spain. From Gil’s garagiste winery, Centenaria combines deep, dark Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon in a wine that drips with lush New World fruit flavors, yet maintains the balance that European wines are famous for. Even Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate was impressed with this value red, calling La Encina “Quite classical in style,” and commending its “elegant rusticity.”

We drank this release alongside juicy half-pound burgers and were blown away by La Encina’s vibrant and ripe aromas of dried plum, cherry, aged balsamic, and dried herbs, all framed with creamy oak. The Centenaria is a bold and unapologetic red ready for the spotlight… if you can click “buy” fast enough. 

The Monastrell that gives this wine its core may be less familiar than Cabernet Sauvignon, but the grape (also known as Mourvèdre) comprises a major part of the legendary French wines of Château de Beaucastel, the lion’s share of the deep reds of Bandol, and is the main grape of Alicante in southeastern Spain, where the roasting climate produces Monastrell wines that showcase the power we’re used to seeing in New World reds. Achieving balance in this subzone can require a very deft touch—something Monastrell master Juan Gil does with ease in this expressive, silken value red. 

A handful of producers in the region are succeeding at showcasing the spectacular terroirs and old vines of Alicante—and Gil is their leader. He farms this Monastrell, Cabernet, and other varieties on nearly 60 sustainably farmed acres on the hillsides of Sierra Salinas. His tiny winery turned Monastrell into a global sensation in the early aughts, and the 2014 keeps that tradition strong.

The vineyards are perched at 1,800-2,300 feet of elevation, where the temperatures can reach nearly 105 degrees in the daytime, and dip into the mid-50s at night. This wide range fosters not only steady ripening, but preserves aroma and balancing acidity. The result is a wine that not only boasts Alicante’s never-fail ripeness, but a graceful 14.5% alcohol content. 

La Encina Centenaria is carefully-selected and hand-harvested from bush-trained Monastrell and Cabernet Sauvignon vines that range in age from 35-45 years old. The blend sees a year in new French and American oak, which adds toasty complexity and sweet tannins to the full-bodied red. 

Softened by time in the bottle, this is a perfect wine for lovers of Spanish reds, as well as California Cabernet drinkers looking to venture to a new region.