Priorat Camins del Priorat Alvaro Palacios 2020

Alvaro Palacios

A blend of local and international varieties, Camins del Priorat is made from 35% Grenache, 24% Syrah, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Carignan, 10% Merlot, and a 3% of other red varieties. The grapes come from 10 to 50-year-old vines grown in plots scattered over different towns in the region. Harvested by hand and selected in the vineyard and in the cellar, the grapes were gently crushed and then fermented in concrete vats, oak vats and stainless steel tanks. Afterwards the wine was transferred into oak vats to complete malolactic fermentation.

Powerful on the nose, yet very refined and with and enticing. Fresh black currant nuances at first, with graphite and oaky hints. Smooth on the palate with arising notes of black cherry, rose and dark chocolate. Remarkable savoury flinty character on the finish.

Delivery
Items are expected to be delivered within 4 weeks
Region
Alcohol-abv
14.5%
Reviews

James Suckling 94 Points, Robert Parker 91 Points

Bottle Format: 75cl

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Price
Quantity
Case of 6
DP
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£174
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Case of 6
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£128.98
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Ratings

94 Points James Suckling

91 Points Robert Parker

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Priorat

Priorat

The Priorat wine region is located in the Catalonia region of Spain, just inland from the Mediterranean port city of Tarragona and about a two-hour drive southwest of Barcelona. The Montsant mountain chain dominates the region, with vineyards situated between 330 feet above sea level in the valleys of Bellmunt del Priorat and el Molar up to 2,500 feet above sea level on the slopes of La Morera de Montsant and Porrera.

Many vineyards are located on costers (Catalan for "steep slope") with a typical gradient of 15 percent (and up to 60 percent), so terracing is common, and vineyards are often too steep and narrow for machine-harvesting. The slate soil on the slopes is known as llicorella ("licorice," due to its dark color) and is the main feature of the soil's terroir and the success of its native grapes.

The classic Priorat wine is made from old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena, and has concentrated aromas of licorice, tar and brandied cherries.

In the year 2000, Priorat became the second region in Spain to receive the designation DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada), the highest denomination in the country. The first to receive this honor was Rioja, in 1991.

Spain

Grape vines have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 B.C., although it was not until 1000 B.C. that winemaking began here in earnest – a skill brought by Phoenician traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Today, Spain is home to more vines than any other country on Earth, and has a national wine output exceeded only by France and Italy.

All seventeen of Spain's administrative regions (communidades autónomas) produce wine to some extent, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. The greatest concentration of vineyards is in Castilla-La Mancha, but the finest and most famous wines come from Galicia (Rias Baixas), Catalonia (Cava and Priorat), Andalucia (Sherry), Castilla y Leon (Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero) and of course Rioja.

Geography and climate together play a fundamental role in defining Spain's many wine styles. From cool, green Galicia and the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north, via the parched central plateau, to sandy, sunny Andalucia in the south, the Spanish landscape is very diverse. The country spans seven degrees of latitude (36°N to 43°N), leaving 500 miles (800km) between its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.

The key red-wine varieties, in order of acreage, are Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha and Monastrell. The leading white-wine varieties are Airen, Viura/Macabeo and Palomino and Albarino. 'International' varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are becoming more and more popular in Spain, and their plantings are rising in various Spanish regions. Along with the most popular varieties, there are regional specialties, such as Hondarrabi Zuri in the Basque Country, Marmajuelo in the Canary Islands and Zalema in Andalucia.