A bright red-orange tinged color. Ripe cherries, a touch of berries and vanilla, and faint oak on the nose. This wine tastes like faint cherries at first but builds to a gripping minerally finish of cranberry, faint oak, spices, olives, and mocha. A little rough and unbalanced, but not poorly made. Drink now through mid 2004, paid $13.99 at Wine Discount Center. RD 87

That's a fairly nice price, and a bit of an off vintage for this particular bottling of the Capçanes Coop. I liked the 96 and 98 better than this. Stay tuned for the 2000 (RP91), which we may not be able to fetch for that pric€...

Gastro, I specifically purchased the 99 to try. I liked it, but I am going to wait until those 2000's come out to buy more.

Do you know the other bottlings from these guys? Cabrida (100 year old Grenache vines) is decidedly tops. I liked the 99 much better than RP90, and in the 98 vintage there's quite a few good bottlings, including Vall del Calás (poorer 99) and the porty sweet red Pansal del Calás.
A new Mas Tortó 2000 has been released that I've yet to try. They're all coupages of the fleshier Mediterranean varietals with some Merlot added. Enjoy.

I had just seen the Cabrida in the store yesterday and decided to pass in favor of the 99 Valderiz RDD. Maybe I will go back next week and pick up a bottle ... I have never seen the other two you talk about.

The 2000 is now available. Anybody tried this yet?

Here's what one of my local stores had to say about it:

2000 Capcanes Costers del Gravet “Les Vinyasses” (Montsant-Spain) - $19.99 (RP91)

Importer Eric Solomon calls Montsant "the next Priorat," no careless boast as his wife is the owner of Priorat's Clos Erasmus. This high altitude vineyard has produced an opaque ruby/purple-colored wine with exceptional
density, as well as gorgeously pure blackberry and blueberry fruit intermixed with minerals and a hint of French oak. This blend of 50% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 40% Grenache (from 70-year old vines), and 10% Carignan was aged completely in French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. There are 2,000 cases available in the United States.

A shame: you'll tell me!

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Free Winona!

Gastro - It will be my pleasure! Will try to pick one up soon and give it a test drive.