Hey Everyone,
Today I'm trying a lovely bottle of Priorat; a wine from Spain's northeast. Situated in the Catalonian countryside several hours west of Barcelona, Priorat is one of the great treasures of Spanish winemaking. Though it is apparently condemned to be forever overshadowed by Penedes locally (the home of Cava production) and Rioja and Ribera del Duero nationally, Priorat is a wine region that has the potential to make lively, full-bodied and satisfying wines with complex characters and even some longevity in the cellar.
This Priorat in particular is a lovely example and has just about everything I would expect from this underrated region. It is very full bodied, friendly and approachable with it's fruitiness and oakiness, but it holds onto enough complexity to keep it interesting for one who is a bit more pensive with their wines. Basically, it's a good all-rounder so I could happily see it going with a big meal and being used to wash down some barbecued pork ribs and burgers, or by itself as a more thoughtful glass on it's own.
The colour is deep and nearly opaque in the glass with a ruby brilliance. The nose is quite big with plenty of deep bramble, black currant and spice as well as complex notes of smoke, new leather and licorice. There may even be some coconut in there, but it may be my imagination. Spanish wine makers often use new American oak barrels for their wines which does give the licorice and coconut aromas, so I may be expecting coconut and therefore smelling it.
The palate is gorgeous with surprisingly grippy tannins, but a nice velvety profile overall. Flakes of stoney gravel betray the licorella soil type which makes up the Catalunyan countryside and show the class of this wine. I love it when a wine shows it's terroir (even though I don't like the word terroir) and this example of Priorat certainly does. The acidity along with the tannins and the full-on fruit character leads me to think that this has some ageability in it, but I say 'why bother.' It's beautiful now and I think it's youth is in it's favour.
I do hope you consider giving this one a try, as it is a lovely bottle for around about 17 pounds. Priorat may not be as historically respected as Rioja, but I think it's a very independent Spanish style and a great value for money.
Much Love,
G
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