Bodega Huguet Can Feixes Negre Seleccio 1999

Patience is required to fully appreciate how great this wine is,' counseled one taster. 'I love it now. I think we should open another bottle,' replied another member of the panel as he reached for the unopened bottle. 'You can't drink that wine now. That would be "infanticide." 'You wanna bet. I want it, I like it, and I'm going to drink it now! After a moment, in which the two belligerents glared at each other, the bottle in question was opened, and all partook of a second glass, including the moralist. Well, enough said. It's obvious some people just have more discipline than others. Indeed, the 1999 Can Feixes Negre Seleccio is one big, deep down, highly extracted Grand Cru Bordeaux-style red, but oooh boy is it tasty now. Allow this hunk of a wine to breathe an hour or two or longer, but if you can't, we understand. Enjoy!

The 1999 Can Feixes Negre Seleccio is a wine to warm the bones and dispel the winter's chill. Tremendous flavor and a boatload of ripe, well-integrated tannins make the Negre Seleccio the perfect wine for hearty fare. This is the wine you want to serve when you desire strength, vigor and a warm fire. It s is also the wine to serve with all the less than heart healthy fare you may care to indulge in. Rare roast beef, the creamiest cheeses you can muster, and everything else the cardiologist forbade. Havarti cheese is our personal preference with the Can Feixes, so bring on the fat!

The historic Can Feixes estate is situated on gravelly slopes in a high amphitheater, astride the famous Montserrat pinnacle in northern Penedes. This is the Penedes vineyard farthest from the Mediterranean, which means the climate at this estate is more continental and drier that of the surrounding vineyards. The high altitude and austere mountain terrain of this rugged area of Catalonia constitute the tiny viticultural home of the native Parellada varietal, which locally is known as Montonec ('grape of the mountain'). This estate is also the home of some of the finest, most intense Merlot, Cabernet and Tempranillo (locally referred to as Ull de Llebre) in all of Catalonia, thanks to the vineyard's premier location and unique situation. The Can Feixas estate dates back to 1400 with the arrival of Jaumes Feixas in the upper reaches of the Penedes, and historical records indicate that wine has been produced continuously at Can Feixas since at least 1690. Whether under the auspices of the Feixas family or the Huguet's, the present owners for nearly 100 years, Can Feixas has always been considered the region's Grand Cru. Today, the vineyard at Can Feixas comprises nearly 300 acres planted to Parellada, with some Macabeo and Chardonnay for white wines and Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet for reds. A small quantity of a special Gran Reserva Cava is also produced from traditional varietals. The Huguet brothers, Joan and Josep Maria handle all viticulture and enology respectively at their estate.