Dominio de Pingus Flor de Pingus 2012

Why Mark chose this

What truly catapulted Peter Sisseck into the global spotlight was Robert Parker. Parker tasted the 1995 inaugural vintage of Pingus and declared it one of the greatest young wines he had ever tried. Overnight, the tiny production of just a few hundred cases became one of the most sought-after wines in the world. And to intensify demand, part of the first vintage was famously lost at sea, when a ship carrying the first US allocation sank near the Azores. This (un)fortunate accident increased its scarcity, cementing the legend. Pingus still comes from the same four hectares, but the wine itself has evolved since then. The heavily oaked style of the mid-1990s has given way to a more restrained, vineyard-driven expression. Climate change has forced further adaptation. But the core remains: a belief that great wines begin with great vines and that old vines deserve respect. Flor de Pingus followed — a village expression in all but name — offering a more accessible window into the estate’s philosophy, made from a larger area around the village of La Horra. Pingus still commands a price that places it firmly among the world’s cult wines. But to consider Peter Sisseck’s work solely through the prism of the price of Pingus is to miss the breadth of his contribution to Spanish wine.