2017 Clos Mogador 'Manyetes' Vi de Vila Gratallops, Spain, Priorat, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$77.00USD

This is 100% Carignan from Priorat on the east coast of Spain.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, spice, anise and slight char.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is a big wine.  Medium tannins.  Loads of cherry fruit with underlying char and anise.  Good balance.  Long finish.  This is delicious.  It should get better with a few more years of ageing, but either way, it should drink well for the next twelve to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this needs big food such as roasted lamb.  

2014 Ferrer Bobet Seleccio Especial Vinyes Velles, Spain, Priorat , Wine Review

Vintage: 
2014
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

This is 100% Carignane from one hundred year old vines.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose shows black cherries, graphite while having a clean earthiness.  On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit with some black cherries.  Nice texture.  Drinks well right now and should continue to do so for ten to fifteen more years.  It may still improve a bit as it matures.  This drinks very well on its own and will work with grilled or roasted meats and fowl.  

2016 Buil & Giné Giné Giné, Spain, Priorat, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$25.00USD

 This is 60% Cariñena, and 40% Garnacha.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  It has a really great nose with black cherries, cherries, slate/minerals and char.  On the palate, a nice backbone of acidity.  Black cherry fruit.  This wine is showing a nice complexity with underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for the next ten years.  It will work well with grilled meats and pork.  

2017 Celler Cal Pla Black Slate Porrera, Spain, Priorat, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$18.00USD

This is a great value in Priorat and that is something that is not often said about any wine.  This is a blend of Garnacha and Carinjena with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has that slate/mineral quality along with black licorice and a ton of black cherries.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep with loads of black cherry fruit over a mineral base.  Great texture.  This should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with grilled meats.  

2017 Alvaro Palacios Priorat Les Terrasses Laderas de Pizarra, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$33.00USD

Another wine from Alavaro Palacios, one of the wineries credited (rightly so) with the rejuvenation of Priorat.  This is a blend of 55% Garnacha, 44% Cariñena (Carignan), with a "pinch" (1%) White Grapes.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has nice black cherry fruit with dust and spices.  The black cherry fruit comes thru to the palate with an underlying char and slate/minerals.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This wine is young and may improve a bit but either way should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  This will work with a wide range of foods from

2005 Rotllan Torra Amadis, Spain, Priorat, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-

Rottlan Torra is one of the oldest producers in Priorat dating from the early 1980's before the area's rebirth.  A blend of 25% Garnacha, 25% Carignan, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Merlot, this wine is drinking wonderfully right now.  2005 was a great vintage.  Purple in color, shimmering bright with no signs of age.  The nose has black cherries, salinity, black licorice and slate/minerals.  On the palate, lots of fruit; black cherries and black raspberries with an underlying minerality.  A nice complexity.  Long finish.  This should continue to drink well for another seven to

2016 Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Priorat Torroja Vi de Vila, Spain, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

From a Garage winery that utilizes small plots of individual vineyards with older vines around Priorat.  The Torroja vineyard has vines that are 50 to 75 years old and are biodynamically farmed.  A blend of Garnacha and Carinena.   This seemed to be a love it or hate it wine in a recent tasting.  Interestingly, the label lists 13.5% abv which is pretty low for Priorat and probably why it might have difficulty in a comparative tasting with a lot of wines.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has lots of spice along with black cherries and anise.  With air some minerals come out.  O

2016 Clos del Portal Priorat Negre de Negres, Spain, Priorat, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$28.00USD

This is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  Tasted among a variety of Priorat wines, this was significantly lighter in color with more ruby than purple tones.  The nose is nice with raspberries, cherries and spice. Medium bodied.  Lighter on the palate as well with notes of black cherries and cherries.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This is ready to drink now and should drink well for three to five more years.  It will work well with stews or chili.  

2017 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Embruix, Spain, Priorat, Wine review

Vintage: 
2017
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$22.00USD

Another top producer in Priorat, this is their entry level red.  It is a blend of  27% Garnacha, 26% Merlot, 21% Syrah, 18% Cariñena, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Inky purple in color, shimmering bright and opaque.  The nose has dust, black cherries, plums and coffee.  On the palate, spicy black cherry fruit.  Medium tannins.  The alcohol is noticeable but not obtrusive.  Long finish.  This is delicious and in need of some cellar time.  Perhaps another three to five years.  This drinks great on its own but will need big food right now.  Perhaps after a few years it calms down.  This is the kind

2019 Alvaro Palacios Priorat Camins del Priorat, Spain, Priorat, WIne Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$21.00USD

From one of the original wineries in Priorat's rebirth in the early 1990's.  This is an entry level wine. It is a blend of 35% Garnacha, 24% Syrah, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cariñena, 10% Merlot and 3% other grapes.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose has black cherries with a slightly sweet black licorice note.  On the palate, this is sweet and jammy, ripe black cherries.  Nice texture. Monolithic.  Of course, this is young so it may develop more.  It drinks better on its own right now than with food.  Probably best to drink over the next three to five years.  

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