Priorat Wine Tasting at The Wine Watch

Never buy the cheapest wine in any category, as its taste may discourage you from going on. The glass, corks, cartons, and labor are about the same for any wine, as are the ocean freight and taxes for imported wines. Consequently, if you spend a little more, you are likely to get a better wine, because the other costs remain fixed. Cheap wine will always be too expensive.

Bespaloff, Alex | Wine Writer

That is definitely true for the Priorat, you don’t want to buy the cheapest wine from this area.  The high elevation of the vineyards and cost of farming the old vines make the best wines very expensive and there really are no cheap wines until you get into the foothills of Monsant.

Every time we show wines from the Priorat I am surprised to see how many new fans these wines acquire. They have gorgeous forward fruit and an early appeal that rank very high on the immediate gratification scale.  We like the wines of the Priorat so much we have dedicated an annual event to showcasing the new releases from area.  We will be focusing on the wines from two suppliers portfolio’s for this year’s tasting- Christopher Cannon and Eric Solomon.

Christopher Cannon was in on the ground floor with this region and has brought in Clos Morgador since the very beginning here in the U.S. so we will be tasting one of the original five producers tonight!  Even though they have been making wine in the Priorat for close to 1000 years, this area is relatively new to the fine wine scene.  It was Rene Barbier and Alvaro Palacios who got things started with a few of their friends in the early 1990’s.  Clos Morgador was made for the first few years along with Clos Dofi (Palacios, later renamed to Finca Dofi), Clos Erasmus, Clos Martinet and Clos de l'Obac all at the same winery with shared grapes.

Eric Solomon is married to Daphne Glorian, the owner of Clos Erasmus, also one of the original five producers of this region.  So, you can imagine he was in on the ground floor and is one of the premier authorities on the wines of the Priorat as well as this country’s leading importer of Priorat wines in the U.S. today.   Although we will not be serving Clos Erasmus this evening we do have a little on this offering, I have listed all of the wines that we have from the Priorat at the end of this tasting announcement.

Join us as we taste through a few dozen new releases from these two top importers and of course Wine Watch Catering's Toni Lampasone will be providing a few small treats to pair with the wines. This is a walk around tasting and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this event is $45 all-inclusive for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Priorat Wine Tasting at The Wine Watch
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
7:00 PM

Christopher Cannon Selections

2008 Clos Figueras Font de la Figueres
Price: $37.50       Sale $33                                Case $383

Christopher and Charlotte Cannan have owned Clos Figueras since 1997, after a recommendation by their friend Rene Barbier, who suggested they acquire the first 10-hectare parcel of abandoned terraces just outside Gratallops. This was augmented by a 8-hectare parcel three years later. Apart from the flagship wine, they produce a small amount of white wine aged in stainless steel vat.  Wine Advocate #200, Apr 2012

2007 Clos Figueras Clos Figueres
Price: $88.50       Sale $77.88          Case $903

(94 Points)  The purple-colored 2007 Clos Figueres displays an already complex nose of sandalwood, Asian spices, mineral, lavender, herbs, and assorted black fruits. Dense and sweet on the palate, this plush offering will continue evolving for another 5-7 years and have a drinking window extending from 2015 to 2027. Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010

2008 Clos Mogador Priorat
Price: $96                             Sale $84.48          Case $979

(96 Points)  The red wines begin with the flagship 2008 Clos Mogador. It is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Dense purple in color, it sports an expansive bouquet of liquid minerality, wood smoke, game, Asian spices, truffle, and blackberry. Opulent on the palate with layered fruit and precision balance, this loaded Priorat provides a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2023.

Rene Barbier was kind enough to open a range of older Clos Mogadors including 1991, 1999, 2001, and 2005. The 2001 and 2005 vintages previously received high ratings worthy of the quality of these great vintages. However, 1991 was a vintage damaged by hail, but this bottle is doing fine with another 10-12 years of life remaining. The 1999 vintage was challenging and this is a relatively light Mogador but still in fine condition. Because of insufficient evidence, the jury is still out on the longevity of the top Priorats but more and more data points keep popping to suggest that 20 and even 30 years is possible.  Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

Eric Solomon Selections

2011 Capcanes Mas Donis Rose
Price: $11.75 Sale $10.34 Case $120

Red fruits, subtle smoky black tea and geranium florals drive a savoury and restrained nose with beautifully tempered fruitiness. The palate is expressive with some glycerol, but really dry (3 g/l residual sugar), with fruit tannin and soft, earthy acidity cutting the wine across as well as along the palate - really nicely framed rosehip and wild roses and a bit of maraschino cherry. Yum! 80% Garnacha, with Syrah and Merlot.

2011 Herencia Altes Garnacha Blanca
Price: $11.75 Sale $10.34 Case $120

2008 Terroir Al Limit Pedra De Guix Priorat
Price: $64.50 Sale $56.76 Case $658

(92 Points) The 2009 Pedra de Guix is the same blend also raised in 500-liter casks. It offers a bit more aromatic complexity with notes of dried pineapple, lychee, melon, and bee’s wax. More concentrated and with greater volume, the 2009 merits 2-3 years of cellaring and should drink well through 2019, if not longer.

Terroir Al Limit is a true garage wine project focusing on the old vines around the village of Torroja. The philosophy of the estate is to capture the character of the terroir by minimizing the effect of winemaking to minimal processing and natural handling of the grapes. The vines are farmed biodynamically although they are not certified. There is one white wine in the portfolio, Pedra de Guix, made from a blend of Garnacha Blanca, Pedro Ximinez, and Macabeo. It is sourced from vines ranging in age from 48-78 years. The wine is aged for 24 months in 500-liter casks and bottled without fining or filtration. The red wines begin with the Vi de Vila cuvee consisting of equal parts Garnacha and Carinena aged for 24 months in 500-liter casks and foudres. The L’Arbossar vineyard cuvee (from 89-year-old vines) is 100% Carinena from a north facing site that is aged for 18 months in 18 HL foudres. The Dits del Terra vineyard cuvee (from 83-year-old vines) is 100% Carinena from a south facing site that is aged for 24 months in 18 HL foudres. The Les Manyes cuvee is 100% Garnacha from a 54-year-old vineyard that is aged for 24 months in 18 HL foudres. The Les Tosses cuvee is sourced from an 80-year-old Carinena vineyard that is aged for 24 months in 18 HL foudres. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2009 Capcanes Mas Donis Barrica
Price: $12.75 Sale $11.22 Case $130

(89 Points) The red wines begin with the 2009 Mas Donis Barrica, a blend of 80% Garnacha and 20% Syrah aged for 9 months in French and American oak. It gives up a fragrant nose of mineral, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry. In the glass it reveals a bit of structure, ripe, spicy black fruits, and excellent length. It is an outstanding value for drinking over the next 4-5 years.

Celler de Capcanes is one of the leading estates of Montsant and arguably one of the great producers of Kosher wine this side of Manischewitz. This unusual story began in 1995 when the Jewish community of Barcelona asked Capcanes if they could produce a Kosher wine. The installation of new equipment allowed for the production of Kosher wine but also high quality wines from the old vine Garnacha and Carinena grown in the local villages by the 80 members of the cooperative. While the Kosher wines put Capcanes on the map, it represents only 2% of the production and now it is the other 98% which drives the business. The following wines were tasted during my visit to Celler de Capcanes in January, 2011. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2010 Bula
Price: $12.50 Sale $11 Case $128

2010 Altes Garnacha Negra
Price: $11.75 Sale $10.34 Case $120

Made of 100% Garnatxa (aka Grenacha or Grenache) this wine produced in Terra Alta along the border of Aragon in Catalonia  "Bright ruby. High-pitched aromas of raspberry and floral oils, with a note of white pepper gaining strength with air. Juicy, precise red and dark berry flavors show impressive depth and clarity and gain flesh with air. Finishes sweet and long, with lingering red fruit notes and no rough edges. This is an outstanding value...90" IWC 11/11

2008 Celler de l'Encastell Marge Priorat
Price: $21 Sale $18.48 Case $214

Marge is made up of 60% Garnacha with the balance Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 8 months in French and American oak.

2006 Mas Doix Salanques Priorat
Price: $32.75 Sale $28.82 Case $334

(93 Points) The Salanques cuvee is the second wine of Celler Mas Doix, a barrel by barrel declassification from Mas Doix itself. The 2006 Salanques is a blend of 65% Garnacha, 15% Carinena, and the balance Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 14 months in French oak. It offers up an enticing nose of cedar, pencil lead, tar, licorice, and black cherry. Dense, layered, and pleasure-bent on the palate, this well balanced wine will provide pleasure over the next eight years. Wine Advocate #183, Jun 2009

2007 Mas D'en Compe Planots Priorat
Price: $102 Sale $89.76 6pk $520

(94 Points) Celler Cal Pla’s 2007 Mas d’En Compte Planots was sourced from a single 100+-year-old vineyard. The wine is composed of 50% Garnacha and 50% Carinena aged for 16 months in new French oak. It is a glass-coating opaque purple color with port-like aromas of smoke, camphor, liquid minerality, tapenade, black cherry, and black plum. Supple, sweetly fruited, layered, and expressive, it conceals enough structure to evolve for 3-5 years. This lengthy effort will deliver prime drinking from 2014 to 2027. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2005 Cellers Ripoll Sans Closa Batllet Grattalops
Price: $110.25 Sale $97.02 Case $1125

(94 Points)  The 2005 Closa Batllet is a blend of 65% Carinena, 22% Garnacha, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. It was aged for 15 months in French and American oak. It offers up a classy nose of cedar, liquid minerals, lavender, cinnamon, blueberry, and black cherry. Layered on the palate with silky tannin, this rich, full-flavored effort has great concentration and a lengthy, pure finish. Give it 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it through 2020. Wine Advocate #183, Jun 2009

2008 Mas Doix Costers Vielle Vigne Priorat
Price: $127.50 Sale $112.20 Case $1300

(95 Points) The 2008 DOIX Costers Vinyes Velles reveals a deep purple color with outstanding aromatic complexity. Notes of liquid minerality, licorice, lavender, Asian spices, and black cherry lead to a supple, savory effort loaded with spice and personality. There is a nicely concealed structure that will allow the wine to evolve for several years although it is approachable now. It will be best from 2013 to 2028.

Mas Doix has a story quite common in Priorat in which professional people living in the big cities return to reclaim the family heritage (and are having more fun than they ever did before). Mas Doix’s flagship cuvee is named DOIX Costers Vinyes Velles with an annual production of only 4-7,000 bottles. It is typically a blend of old-vine Garnacha and Carinena (80-108 years of age) with the proportions varying slightly from year to year. The wine is aged in 100% new French oak for 14-18 months. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2007 Clos Mogador Manyetes
Price: $73.50 Sale $64.68 Case $750

Manyetes is the name of a place in the village of Grattalops. With this Manyetes, Barbier has imposed a passionate challenge on this poor and too sunny soil, at the limit of the survival of the vines ... Only the influence of the Ebre river on the horizon, gives an occasional thin patch of moisture that allows the vines to survive. The result is a large concentration of the principal essence of Priorat. And in this corner close to suffocation, rises Rene Barbier, who resists an old barren and steep hillside, covered with slate and planted with Carignan. He wanted to bring some femininity with 25% of Grenache. The result is a surprising wine: the Carignan and Grenache combine to give the soil a mineral wine, feminine, pleasant and subtle ...

2009 Familia Nin-Ortiz Planetes de Nin
Price: $97.50 Sale $85.80 Case $995

(92 Points) Familia Nin-Ortiz’s 2009 Planetes de Nin is sourced from a contiguous 11 acre parcel all planted on llicorella and farmed biodynamically. The wine is made up of 70% Garnacha and 30% Carignan aged in foudre. It is purple in color with an intriguing nose of dates and figs (reminiscent of a Fig Newton) as well as mineral, lavender, and black cherry. On the palate it reveals an elegant, racy personality with enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. It is approachable now and will continue to provide pleasure through 2021. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

Menu

Lemon rosemary eggplant Caponata served on toast points

Chicken Quesadilla with Avocado lime drizzle and Pico de Gallo

Seared Lamb Loin served on a blackberry pancake with savory mint jelly

A bit of info on the Priorat:

The first recorded evidence of grape growing and wine production dates from the 12th century, when the monks from the Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei, founded in 1163, introduced the art of viticulture in the area. The prior of Scala Dei ruled as a feudal lord over seven villages in the area, which gave rise to the name Priorat. The monks tended the vineyards for centuries until 1835 when they were expropriated by the state, and distributed to smallholders.

At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera pest devastated the vineyards causing economic ruin and large scale emigration of the population. Before the phylloxera struck, Priorat is supposed to have had around 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of vineyards. It was not until the 1950s that replanting was undertaken. The DO Priorat was formally created in 1954. The seat of the DO's regulatory body was initially Reus, some 30km to the east of the wine-region, rather than in Priorat itself.

In the decade from 1985, the production of bulk wine was phased out and bottling of quality wine phased in.

Early on, winemaking cooperatives dominated. Much of the development of Priorat wines to top class is credited to René Barbier and Álvaro Palacios. Winemaker Barbier, then active at a winery in Rioja owned by the Palacios family, bought his first land for Priorat vineyards in 1979, convinced of the region's potential. At this stage, there were 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of Priorat vineyards. In the 1980s, he convinced others, including Palacios, to follow suit and plant new vineyards in suitable locations, all named Clos. For the first three vintages, 1989-1991, the group of five wineries pooled their grapes, shared a winery in Gratallops, and made one wine sold under five labels: Clos Mogador (Barbier), Clos Dofi (Palacios, later renamed to Finca Dofi), Clos Erasmus, Clos Martinet and Clos de l'Obac. From 1992, these wines were made separately. In 1993, Palacios produced a wine called L'Ermita sourced from very old Priorat vines, which led to an increased interest in using the region's existing vineyards to produce wines in a new style.

The Catalan authorities approved of Priorat's elevation from DO to DOQ status in 2000, but national level confirmation from the Spanish Government in Madrid only came on July 6, 2009. In the period from 2000 to 2009, when it was approved as DOQ but not yet as DOCa, despite the fact that these designations were exactly the same but in Catalan and Spanish, respectively, the situation was somewhat confused. A new set of DOQ rules were approved by the Catalan government in 2006. The regulatory body moved from Reus to Torroja del Priorat in 1999.

The vineyard surface of Priorat has been continuously expanding since the Clos-led quality revolution in the 1990s. At the turn of the millennium there was 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of vineyards, with an equal amount of planting rights secured. As of 2009, there are close to 1,800 hectares (4,400 acres).

Priorat wines available in the store:

2009 Mas D'En Compte Blanco Priorat
Price: $30.00       Sale $26.40
Quantity in Stock: 18

(92 Points)  The 2009 Blanco is a blend of 50% Garnacha Blanc from vines over 80 years of age, Xarel-lo, and Piquepoul aged for 6 months in French and American oak. Gold in color with a very perfumed nose of mineral, popcorn, baking spices, and melon, on the palate it is creamy-textured, rich, spicy, and very lengthy. This impeccably balanced white is likely to evolve for 2-3 years and drink well for a decade.   Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2009 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Priorat
Price: $44.00       Sale $38.72
Quantity in Stock: 7

(91-94 Points)  The 2009 Les Terrasses displays a lovely nose of exotic spices, black fruits, and liquid minerals. It offers greater depth, aging potential, and length than the 2008.

Alvaro Palacios established his namesake winery in 1989. The flagship L’Ermita made its debut in 1993. Finca Dofi and L’Ermita vineyards are farmed biodynamically. All of the wines are bottled without filtration. In 2008 Palacios was the last grower in Priorat to harvest, waiting out rains that diluted other growers’ fruit. It appears that 2009 was a slightly more successful vintage for Alvaro Palacios (and most Priorat producers) than was 2008. All of the 2009s were tasted from barrel samples at the Bodega in January 2011.  Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

2001 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat
Price: $95.00       Sale $83.60
Quantity in Stock: 12

(93 Points) The estate-grown 2001 Finca Dofi, fashioned from tiny yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, was aged in 100% new French oak. A blend of 60% Grenache, and the rest Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot, it appears to be the finest vintage of this cuvee I have yet tasted. Inky/purple to the rim with a sweet nose of creme de cassis, blackberries, minerals, and a hint of acacia flowers, this intense, opulent, full-bodied, seamless 2001 is already accessible. It can be drunk young, or cellared for 12-13 years. Wine Advocate # 152, April 2004

2002 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat
Price: $82.50       Sale $72.60
Quantity in Stock: 5

2008 Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi Priorat
Price: $81.00       Sale $71.28
Quantity in Stock: 11

(93 points) The 2008 Finca Dofi, sourced from a relatively youthful single vineyard, is composed of 60% Garnacha with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot aged in 100% new French oak. Aromas of sandalwood, Asian spices, incense, and black cherry lead to a forward, sexy offering with plenty of spice and floral notes. This lengthy effort is one of those rarities than can be approached now but will drink well for another 20 years.

Alvaro Palacios established his namesake winery in 1989. The flagship L’Ermita made its debut in 1993. Finca Dofi and L’Ermita vineyards are farmed biodynamically. All of the wines are bottled without filtration. In 2008 Palacios was the last grower in Priorat to harvest, waiting out rains that diluted other growers’ fruit. It appears that 2009 was a slightly more successful vintage for Alvaro Palacios (and most Priorat producers) than was 2008. All of the 2009s were tasted from barrel samples at the Bodega in January 2011. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011

1998 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Priorat
Price: $550.00    Sale $484
Quantity in Stock: 4

(97 points) The blockbuster, opaque purple-colored 1998 L'Ermita (the finest since the 1995 and 1994) exhibits a full-bodied personality with copious quantities of sweet oak, a boatload of glycerin, and superb blackberry, cassis, and cherry fruit that explodes on the mid-palate and in the finish. The elevated quantities of new oak should become better integrated as the wine ages over the next 15-20 years. This is an exceptionally impressive/expressive wine. Wine Advocate #136, Aug 2001

2008 Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Priorat
Price: $775.00    Sale $682
Quantity in Stock: 1

(96 points) The flagship, the 2008 L’Ermita, comes from a remarkably steep 4.4 acre, 70-year-old vineyard planted to 100% Garnacha and is aged in 100% new oak. It delivers a profound perfume of exotic spices, kinky wild berry aromas, incense, liquid minerality, black raspberry, and black cherry. In this vintage it is relatively forward with considerable elegance, a sophisticated personality, great depth and balance, and a pure, fruit-filled finish. It is one of the benchmark wines of the DO.  Alvaro Palacios established his namesake winery in 1989. The flagship L’Ermita made its debut in 1993. Finca Dofi and L’Ermita vineyards are farmed biodynamically. All of the wines are bottled without filtration. In 2008 Palacios was the last grower in Priorat to harvest, waiting out rains that diluted other growers’ fruit. It appears that 2009 was a slightly more successful vintage for Alvaro Palacios (and most Priorat producers) than was 2008. All of the 2009s were tasted from barrel samples at the Bodega in January 2011.  Wine Advocate #194,  May 2011

2005 Bodegas Mas Alta La Creu Alta Priorat
Price: $137.50    Sale $121
Quantity in Stock: 10

(84 Points)Cola, sour cherry and herbal flavors jostle in this lively but untamed red, which has firm tannins and tart acidity. Drink now through 2012. 150 cases imported. –TMWine Spectator Issue: Nov 30, 2007

2005 Bodegas Mas Alta La Basseta Priorat
Price: $87.50       Sale $77
Quantity in Stock: 5

(87 Points)Fleshy, this red is generous and a bit soft, with dark fruit flavors of plum and boysenberry and notes of coffee and cocoa supported by light tannins. Drink now through 2010.Wine Spectator Issue: Apr 30, 2008

2007 Clos Erasmus Laurel Priorat
Price: $52.00       Sale $45.76
Quantity in Stock: 3

(94 Points) The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.  Laurel is produced from the young vines of Clos Erasmus as well as from the results of a triage in the vineyard and cellar of the flagship wine.  Wine Advocate # 188 Apr 2010

1999 Clos Erasmus Priorat
Price: $187.00    Sale $165
Quantity in Stock: 6

(93 points) The 1999 Clos Erasmus, a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Syrah aged in 100% new French oak, was fashioned from yields of only one ton of fruit per acre. Its dark ruby/purple color is followed by an elegant perfume of pure, sweet black raspberries, currants, creosote, and minerals. It reveals complex flavors, tremendous purity, and a long finish with no hard edges. Drink it now and over the next 12-15 years.  Wine Advocate #145 Feb 2003

2007 Clos Erasmus Priorat
Price: $187.50    Sale $165
Quantity in Stock: 14

"The Priorat wasn't always a home to many of Spain's most exciting wineries, but with names like Rene Barbier, Alvaro Palacios, and now, Daphne Glorian of Clos Erasmus, there is no denying how deserving it is of its current status as a "Spanish Darling." Clos Erasmus is produced from four vineyard sites, with a miniscule (total) vineyard surface of only 2 hectares. All the vines are planted on deeply sloped terrasses originally carved into the moutainside by the Ancient Greeks, for their cultivation of vines, olives, and almonds. Las Escalas, the first vineyard site in the area that Daphne visited, became Clos Erasmus. The terrasses were restored, vines planted alongside the existing old vines of Grenache, and in 1990 Clos Erasmus was born. Yields are only 18-20 hectoliters per hectare, and the number of cases produced has never been more than 140 per year." -Eric Solomon Selections

2007 Clos Mogador Priorat
Price: $96.00       Sale $84.48
Quantity in Stock: 4

(96 Points) The flagship, the 2007 Clos Mogador is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is purple/black-colored with a sensational bouquet of mineral, truffle, espresso, black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. Dense and Reubenesque on the palate, it has great concentration, loads of savory fruit, impeccable balance, and several years of aging potential. Accessible now, this lengthy offering will be at its best from 2013 to 2027. It is one of the stars of the vintage in Priorat. Wine Advocate # 188, Apr 2010

2006 Mas Doix Salanques Priorat
Price: $31.25       Sale $27.50
Quantity in Stock: 19

(93 Points) The Salanques cuvee is the second wine of Celler Mas Doix, a barrel by barrel declassification from Mas Doix itself. The 2006 Salanques is a blend of 65% Garnacha, 15% Carinena, and the balance Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 14 months in French oak. It offers up an enticing nose of cedar, pencil lead, tar, licorice, and black cherry. Dense, layered, and pleasure-bent on the palate, this well balanced wine will provide pleasure over the next eight years.  Wine Advocate # 183, Jun 2009

2008 Mas Doix Salanques Priorat
Price: $32.75       Sale $28.82
Quantity in Stock: 5

(91 points) The entry level is Salanques with an annual production ranging from 18-25,000 bottles. The 2008 Salanques is made up of 65% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, and the balance Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The owners consider 2008 to be one of the top 3 vintages of the decade, “a great vintage with low yields and vibrant acidity”. Its older vines were aged for 12 months in 50% new French oak while the younger vines were aged in second year barrels. Medium purple in color with a fragrant nose of cedar, mineral, spice box, lavender, black cherry, and blueberry, on the palate it is smooth-textured, intense, and concentrated with 2-3 years of aging potential. It will perform optimally from 2014 to 2023. Wine Advocate #194 May 2011

1999 Mas Doix Priorat
Price: $180.00    Sale $158.40
Quantity in Stock: 6

2005 Mas Doix Priorat
Price: $131.25    Sale $115.50
Quantity in Stock: 4

This exotic blend of the local favorites Grenache and Carignana is blended with a tiny bit of Merlot for a bit of an international flair, but this wine is unmistakably Priorat. Perfect weather throughout the growing season made Priorat's 2005 vintage OUTSTANDING. Many producers say it was the finest since 1998. There are only 700 cases of this wine brought into the U.S.
(98 Points) The 2005 Costers de Vinas Viejas is aged for 16 months in new French oak. The wine is a blend of 50% Carinena, 48% Garnacha, and 2% Merlot. Purple-colored, it has an other-worldly perfume of pain grille, grilled meat, spice cabinet, espresso, mineral, wild blueberry, and black cherry. This is followed by a powerful, masculine, intense Priorat with gobs of flavor, 8-10 years of cellaring potential, and a very long finish. It will be at its peak from 2018 to 2040. Wine Advocate # 175, Feb 2008

2007 Mas Martinet Bru Priorat D.O Q.
Price: $38.25       Sale $33.66
Quantity in Stock: 8

50% Garnatxa - 20% Syrah - 10% Caranyana - 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - 10% Merlot
Winemaker Sara Perez of Mas Martinet: 'We can achieve true greatness because we have true grandes pagos [grand cru vineyards] here . . .' Though new oak is still widely used, she endorses restraint. 'Every year, many of us are working to diminish the effects of oak on our wines. Using 100 percent new oak, and new oak that has not been properly envinado [broken in by using lesser red wines or white wines to pre-condition the barrels], is an abuse.' Instead, she uses epoxy-lined cement vats (once almost universal in Spain, then out of fashion, and now coming back), wooden tinos (upright vats) and only 50 percent new oak. 'I break it in by fermenting our Martinet Bru [her excellent second wine] for two months and the rest is second-year oak and 10 percent is aged in the tinos,' she explains." - Gerry Dawes, The Wine News, Tarragona's Powerful New-Age Reds

The wines of Priorat are today Spain's finest reds, and the equal of the best that the French Mediterranean and all of Italy produces. It is a wild region, of steep, terraced vineyards that date to Roman times. The typical terroir is composed mainly of ragged and broken slate (schist, or llicorella in the Catalan dialect), lending a distinct character and finesse to the region's best wines. Vines on the hillside behind Perez's home Perez Grapes Wine making at Mas Martinet is at once simple and brilliant as described by Drew Matich from Pulling the Cork, August 2009: ". . . the bottom line is this: Sara's wines faithfully reflect the grapes of the vineyard in any given year. There are no winemaker games played to optimize or equalize the wine across different vintages. The grapes are blended, fermented, and aged as they come out of the vineyard. And from our tastings, the results were amazing."

2000 Planots Vi De Vinyes Velles Priorat
Price: $81.00       Sale $71.28
Quantity in Stock: 9

2005 Roquers de Porrera Priorat
Price: $56.25       Sale $49.50
Quantity in Stock: 22

Deep intense blackberry color. Blackberry, black cherry fruit on the nose complimented by aromas of broken stone, coco-powder, white pepper, fresh flowers and herbs, a unique bouquet that is distinctively Priorat. On the palate this wine has liqueur like concentration, filled with ripe black fruit, meaty/gamy notes, liquid minerals, spice, with big tannins but smooth around the edges- a real mouthful. I like my Priorat on the young side but you could keep this wine for 10 years easily. 14.5% Alcohol Finish 45 MOST EXCELLENT

2004 La Vinya Del Vuit Priorat
Price: $98.75       Sale $86.90
Quantity in Stock: 6

In September, 2001, La Vinya del Vuit (the vineyard of the 8) was created in Gratallops by eight friends. Centered around the winemaking couple of Rene Barbier Jr. and Sara Perez, the group took advantage of the extremely old vines on these schist-filled hills to create this new and exciting enterprise. They currently produce only one bottling, and that singular wine in extremely limited quantity. Harvest is always by hand at this tiny estate and is carried out only in the early hours of the morning. The grapes are taken to the winery in small refrigerated trucks. There is an aggressive winery triage before a portion of the grapes are crushed. Fermentation starts naturally using only indigenous yeasts and may take up to a month in 500 liter, open-top tanks. The grapes are then crushed again before being racked (only by gravity) into French oak barrels for ageing.

2008 Viticultors del Priorat Vega Escal
Price: $24.00       Sale $21.12
Quantity in Stock: 8

(91 Points) The fruit for the 2008 Vega Escal was sourced from around the village of Gratallops, a warmer sub-region of Priorat. It is a blend of 60% Carinena, 30% Garnacha, and 10% Syrah aged for 6 months in French oak. Enticing aromas of garrigue, lavender, incense, plum, and black cherry lead to a racy, intense, impeccably balanced, lengthy wine that can be approached now but will provide enjoyment for another 6-8 years. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011