Community Tasting Notes 23

• FierceRedPanda Likes this wine: 92 points

  May 30, 2020 - Tasted this blind in a horizontal with the 2014 Black Slate Gratallops. Paired with seared venison steaks, roasted asparagus and mushrooms.
  
  Same score and notes as my previous tasting, generally. The differences between the two wines were not subtle. Both my wife and I were able to correctly identify them blind. I prefer the Porrera slightly, because it's, lighter, a little less austere and brings a lot more blackberry and raspberry fruit to the party, along with spice and a touch of minerality. Even the nose is much fruitier than the Gratallops. The fruit here is boisterous, much more in line with what you would expect from a grenache blend, where the Gratallops is a little bit dominated by the stony characteristic. This also features a bit of spice and an herbal flavor and aroma that was entirely absent from the Gratallops.
  
  They're both excellent QPR for the $20-22US range, but I happen to prefer the Porrera a bit more. I suspect the greater emphasis on fruit versus minerality will appeal to more people, and I think this is much more drinkable. The Gratallops really demands food to match its intense dryness and austerity. This wine is generous enough that food may not be mandatory, although I can confirm that it pairs wonderfully with lamb and game, and I expect it would go equally well with beef.

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• FierceRedPanda Likes this wine: 92 points

  April 1, 2020 - Left open for about an hour before serving with a roast shoulder of lamb. A perfect combination. Nose is all red fruit and spice, like someone sprinkled white pepper all over a bowl of raspberries. Medium bodied, with red fruit and peppery/smokey flavors accented by distinct herbaceous and stony notes. The herbal flavors played off especially nicely with the lamb, which was roasted over rosemary and thyme. Really good QPR here.

  1 person found this helpful Comments (1)

• ItsNotMe wrote:

  March 5, 2020 - Miscommunication. Incorrect pairing. Nonetheless, this is a very nice wine. Great QPR.

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• ItsNotMe wrote:

  January 22, 2020 - This has turned out to be a very nice wine. My wife nailed it: pencil and slate. Good call.

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• AdieGrey Likes this wine: 89 points

  November 7, 2019 - I just wanted a wine to sip and enjoy on a cold night. I really enjoy this wine. Makes me want to eat some goat brie, but that is not on the agenda tonight.
  
  The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), stoniness, cedar, lead pencil, clove and Herbes de Provence. It tastes like blackberry, fig, dust, stoniness, cedar, clove and eucalyptus. The body is medium/full. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 2014
• Type Red
• Producer Celler Cal Pla
• Varietal Grenache Blend
• Designation Black Slate
• Vineyard Porrera
• Country Spain
• Region Catalunya
• SubRegion n/a
• Appellation Priorat
• UPC Codes 8437009647097, 8437010554339

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 6 (1%)
• In Cellars 125 (23%)
• Consumed 412 (76%)

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