Seattle Tasting Group does Priorat

Michael Gordon hosted a Priorat tasting at his house.

We started with a few bottles of Sherry to whet our appetites and get our palates ready.

• NV Barbadillo Solear Manzanilla Extra Dry

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  L-06-032. Totally nondescript.

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• NV Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin La Guita Manzanilla

  Spain, Andalucía, Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

  L-041741004. Lacquer. Not completely dry. Very nice richness to this.

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• 2002 Alvear Montilla-Moriles PX Fino "En Rama"

  Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles

  100% PX in a dry white. If you ever have any doubt that Pedro Ximénez starts as a white varietal, you just need to see a glass of this. Utterly dry. Nutty. Intense. A bizarre wine that grows on you, a real acquired taste. Very interesting.

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The first flight was the highlight, a very impressive 5-year vertical of Clos Mogador. These are amazingly dense, inky wines, truly impressive stuff.

• 1999 Clos Mogador Priorat 95 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Inky, dusky, olive, paint, road tar, pomegranate syrup. This is unreal wine, saturated, chewy, with great acidity, mouthwatering. Almost impenetrable.

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• 2000 Clos Mogador Priorat 95 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Soaring notes of raspberry, a hint of coffee, smoke and briar. The oak sticks out more on this vintage, but amazingly this is even more concentrated than the 1999.

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• 2001 Clos Mogador Priorat 97 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  The nose is like the 1999. Raspberry, plum, tangy, gamey, getting very complex in the glass. Mmm, the palate is salty, loaded with minerals. Hugely tannic, dusty, toothcoating, wowza!

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• 2002 Clos Mogador Priorat 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Char, oak, some coffee, again with the raspberry, strong vitamin. Very tight, tannic, not giving, getting more friendly with time in the glass. A sweet core. Simpler than the other vintages.

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• 2003 Clos Mogador Priorat 94 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Stemmy notes, resin, showing more barrel than the other vintages, a little whiff of brett. Very oaky and yet plush with raspberry jam, chalky, mineral, VERY mineral.

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Next up was a horizontal of 2001 wines. This was decidedly less impressive with only the Finca Dofi really standing out.

• 2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant 88 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Inky, pickle barrel, tangy, ketchup. Bright, vibrant, pleasant. Drying tannins.

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• 2001 Clos Mogador Priorat Manyetes 83 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Rhubarb, pickle, more muddy. Lots of sediment. Chewy, somewhat raspy, raw. Definitely showing more oak and bitter overextraction. Bad bottle?

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• 2001 Gran Clos Priorat Finca El Puig 84 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Lots of volatile acidity and banana. Big, clumsy, bitter and oaky.

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• 2001 Alvaro Palacios Priorat Finca Dofí 93 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Smokey, roasted, some heat. Mmm, I LIKE this. Fairly smooth, saturated and plush.

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After dinner of a lovely Pork roast, we finished with one more flight. A much nicer flight modulo the ringer. That Mas Doix, oh my goodness!

• 2001 Mas Martinet Priorat Clos Martinet 94 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Mmmm, rich, chocolate, brett. A gorgeous wine, chewy yet very bright. Big fan.

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• 2001 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva 80 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Ringer. Massive dill. Shrill. Lots of stuffing but just too weird.

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• 2003 Mas Doix Priorat Costers de Vinyes Velles 96 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Knockout. Crushed raspberry. Floral. Crushed mineral. The most suave wine of the entire tasting.

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• 2003 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja 89 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja

  Peppery. Raspy note of brett. Coffee and toffee.

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And at last, something sticky to send us on our way.

• NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles PX 1927 Dulce Viejo

  Spain, Andalucía, Montilla-Moriles

  Raisin, toffee, maple syrup, orange, brown sugar.

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