This is a blend of the grapes that didn't make it into the single varietal expressions consisting of 44% Syrah, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Sirah, with the remainder made up from Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
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
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.
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
This is really drinking well right now. Purple in color with a thin ruby line at the rim. The nose is great with black raspberries, slight bacon fat, char and black pepper. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this has a lovely texture. Black raspberry fruit intertwined with roasted meats and black pepper. Very smooth. Delicious. Long finish. This is closing in on peak but should have ten to fifteen more years at or near the top. This worked great with Indian food.
This is a blend of 59% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 19% Terret Noir, and 2% Roussanne. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with black raspberries, black cherries, black pepper, and black olives. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this drinks with a cooler climate Syrah profile, that is with black raspberry fruit, black pepper and slight black cherries over a mineral base. Light tannins. Very fresh. Nice finish. This drinks youthfully but shows some signs of maturity. It will continue to mature for the next five to seven years and be good for anothe
Classis Washington Syrah. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, black olives, slight burnt rubber and char. Full bodied. On the palate, this is a big wine, but not over ripe. Lots of black raspberry fruit with char underneath. Good acidity. Nice finish. This drinks well on its own, but works a bit better with food. It should continue to mature for the next three to five years and be good for ten after that. It would be a nice match with Indian food.
From Magnum. This is a blend of 30% Mourvedre, 22% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 13% Tempranillo, 12% Grenache, and 10% Petite Sirah. The bottle was opened for air for around 24 hours prior to serving. Drank over two nights, it was consistent both nights. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, plums, black raspberries, cherries, gravel, black pepper and floral notes. Crazy good and complex. Full bodied and full throttle. On the palate, all of those purple and red fruits seem to come out with underlying minerality and gravel. Juicy acidity. 15.9% ABV but no s
Another delicious wine from SQN. It is a blend of 84% Syrah, 7% Grenache, 6% Petite Sirah, 1% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats, slight black olives and spice. Full bodied. Serious, fruit forward and intense wine. On the palate, there are some tannins left. Lots of black raspberry fruit over an earthy, meaty base. Juicy acidity. 15.5% ABV but no heat. Long finish. In short, everything you could expect from this winery. It is still young and should evolve over the next decade and drink well for ten mo
This has really opened nicely since I last tried it. Still young, but delicious. Perhaps the best wine from Washington that I have had. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with black raspberries, boysenberries, black cherries, black olives and tarragon. No burnt rubber that sometimes shows up in Washington Syrah. Full bodied. On the palate, the black and purple fruits dominate. Black pepper. Slight black olive with underlying minerals/rocks. Wonderful lush but fluid texture. Long finish. Delicious. This is still maturing and should be great drinking for t
