For the keener readers amongst you, you may recall that I did an Up from the Cellar article about Priorat when I was in Spain earlier this year. Completely forgetting of course that I had this tasting coming up as well. So if you really want a deep dive into Priorat then you can read that article first HERE, then move on to this one.
I’m just going to steal some of my own work from that previous article to explain Priorat to you. Priorat lies in the north east of Spain southwest of Barcelona. It is very rural (as you can imagine) and is extremely rugged with lots of hills, terraced hillsides and old bush vines. It gained the classification of DOC.a. which is the highest classification in Spain and the two main grape varieties used are Carignan and Grenache. Mechanization in the vineyard is extremely difficult due to the landscape and so nearly everything is done by hand. These wines are generally powerful, full-bodied and will give red and black fruit flavours, bold tannins and good, sometimes great, age ability. So, let’s crack on!
The Wineries are:
Clos I Terrasses
One of the first estates in Priorat. Daphne Glorian was one of the original pioneers who thought that old vine Grenache could produce fantastic wines. She was not wrong. She started producing in 1989 and never looked back. She did have accomplices however in Rene Barbier, Alvaro Palacios, Carles Pastrana and Josep Lluis Perez… All who now make some of the best Priorat wines in existence today. Clos I Terrasses is arguably the best or one of the best producers of Priorat full stop. Both her Clos Erasmus and Laurel wines are highly sought after and highly regarded by all wine critics.
Alvaro Palacios
Hopefully you’ll recognise this name… I just wrote it in the paragraph above! Acquiring his first vineyard in 1990 Finca Dofi, Alvaro Palacios has become what we could only consider as a superstar. Having learnt his trade at Chateau Petrus in Bordeaux (What an education), he decided to move to Priorat. He believed that the tight, rugged hills of this region could produce wines that would rival Petrus and Grange. I’ve got to give it to him… he wasn’t wrong. Whilst Finca Dofi is extremely sought after, his other wine L’Ermita is almost impossible to get a hold of. Utilising the best of old vine Grenache Alvaro has been producing outstanding wines and continues to.
Mas Doix
Founded in 1998 by Valenti and Ramon Llagostera, the estate practices strictly organic viticulture with biodynamic practices. They cultivate low yielding vines that provide excellent quality grapes. Creating seven different wines in total, this estate has an excellent reputation of putting the vines and quality of grapes first. They are proud of their philosophy and have a great team of people who work behind the scenes to produce some great wines.
Mas Martinet
In 1981 Mas Martinet was founded by Josep Lluis Peres and Montse Ovejero. Having studied as a biologist, science is at the forefront of Josep’s ideology for winemaking. He has utilised scientific methodologies in order to create the best quality of wines from Priorat. There are no pesticides or chemicals used in his vineyards and organic farming is at the heart of his philosophy. The wine is produced using as little intervention as possible. There is no sulphur added, they do not clarify the wine, they do not cool the wine or make any corrections and they do not filter. This is pure, unadulterated wine at its best.
Clos de L’Obac
Carles Pastrana and Mariona Jarque purchased some land in Priorat in 1979. A whole 10 years later and their first vintage of Clos de L’Obac was produced in 1989. It took 10 years for all of these great winemakers (mentioned under the Clos I Terrasses paragraph) to plant and grow their vines to the point where they could then draw out their respective Estate lines. Clos de L’Obac over its years has continued to produce fantastic wines. All of the original group with Daphne deserve a huge round of applause for quite literally building one of the best regions of red wine in the world. There I said it!
Tonight’s tasters are David, Harry, Kim & Jen.
Clos I Terrasses Laurel 2017
70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Note: Powerful on the nose with blue and black fruit. Blackcurrants, blueberries and damson with hints of vanilla. Smooth and luscious body with great power and gorgeous, broad flavour. Supple and tense with fantastic complexity and a very well-rounded mouthfeel. Tannins are seamless and fine with lovely vibrancy and freshness. Lovely long finish, this is a great wine and will evolve nicely for 8-10 years.
Alvaro Palacios Gratallops 2016
85% Grenache, 13% Carignan, 2% of Grenache Blanc and Macabeo mix.
Note: Cherries, blackberries and vegetal notes. Lovely, deep and lots of flavour. Light, elegant and lovely with good vibrancy of fruit. Bold flavour and just big and powerful across the mid-palate. Fine tannins with layers of textured fruit and vegetation. Lovely vanilla notes with some hints of herbs and vegetation really adding some great flavour. I have no doubt this will age gracefully over the next 5-7 years but it is drinking superbly now.
Mas Doix Salanques 2015
65% Grenache, 25% Carignan and 10% Syrah.
Note: Power and concentration of fruit is king here. Dark cherries, blackcurrants, damson and oak. Smooth, elegant, fruity and luscious, like a bowl of black fruit has punched you in the face. Creamy and luscious on the body… clearly down for a good time. Elegance personified. Textured body, with layers of complex fruit and perfumed notes. Both fruit and vanilla managing to merge together in great harmony. Drinking perfectly and should sit in this window for a good 4-5 years. Cracking from Mas Doix.
Mas Martinet Clos Martinet 2014
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot.
Note: Strawberries, cherries, vanilla and damson (again…). Extremely supple on the body, very feminine and elegant. Vibrant and racy with a great mixture of red and black fruit coming through. Complex and tight this is certainly a wine made to enjoy over two decades. Still very young, fresh, vibrant and strong tannins, that acidity really helping out to keep this nice and fresh. Lots of heat, lots of power and lots of fruit. Leave this baby for more time in my opinion, it is great at the moment but will certainly get better over the coming 5-8 years.
Alvaro Palacios Dofi 2013
95% Grenache & 5% Carignan.
Note: Red cherries, blueberries and blackberries. Lovely vanilla, oaky notes. Smooth, creamy and textured on the palate. There is ample fruit here with fantastic flavour and concentrated fruit. Tannins are seamless and give great power and roundness. Gorgeous freshness and vibrancy from some great high acidity. This is drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve for at least the next decade.
Clos de L’Obac 2004
35% Grenache, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 10% Merlot & 10% Carignan.
Note: Stewed fruits everywhere, plums, prunes and dark, black fruit. Lots of acidity offering up great freshness, certainly required. Good texture with a nice mouthfeel, good, juicy and plenty of life left in it. Certainly needs drinking up and will offer great pleasure, especially with strong foods.
Alvaro Palacios Dofi 2004
60% Grenache, 40% a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Carignan.
Note: That Cabernet is singing. Redcurrants, red cherries with gorgeous mint and vegetal aromas. So fresh, so satisfying and so bold. Vibrant body with juicy fruit and tangy acidity offering up great freshness and vibrancy. This belies its age, this is plump, fresh and gorgeous. Elegant and pure with seamless tannins and just an exquisite wine. Drinking perfectly now and I would highly recommend getting any of this if you can.
Conclusion
I consider myself very lucky to have tasted these wines on show here. Some of them are very expensive and I count my blessings, some are certainly affordable. They were also truly exceptional and all deserve a place in your cellar. There is definitely something to be said for old vine Grenache. It appears that no matter where you grow it (Spain, Southern Rhone France, Australia, South Africa), it always manages to excel.
The scores:
Laurel 2017 – 93 Points
Gratallops 2016 – 94 Points
Salanques 2015 – 95 Points
Clos Martinet 2014 – 94 Points
Dofi 2013 – 96 Points
Clos de L’Obac – 93 Points
Dofi 2004 – 97 Points
All that needs to be said really… cracking tasting.
Thank you for reading as always and I hope you have a good weekend!
See you soon! 😊
Harry Vernau