June 25, 2023 - Picked up this bottle at auction a few weeks back and so happy to be able to open it for Gabriel and Linda, since he treated me to my first Erasmus (2015) ever, a while back.
Slow ox'd only 45 minutes before we started our event for the night. This one was really good right from the pnp. Bright cherry fruit and gentle perfume notes right from the start. The nose retreated just a bit over the first hour but the clean, precise cherry fruit persisted. This had a slight Bdx feel to it, medium/- weight in the mouth, but clean and refined and balanced. A hint or caramel on the palate as well. One of the most enjoyable older wines I've had of late and makes me want to visit Priorat all the more, next year. Such a unique and fun wine! Still performing very well at this late age. I know Parker only gave it a 90 but there is no way this one is a 90. It may be a 91-92 for many, but with our meal of teriyaki marinated flank steak, scalloped potatoes, jalapeno cornbread and sauteed mushrooms, it is an extremely good match. The true definition of a great wine pairing......94 because of that, for me.
December 24, 2021 - Corked. Very sad as this was our last bottle.
August 24, 2020 - There's lots of variation on what is the blend here, the data ranging from 100% Grenache to a blend of Grenache (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%) and Syrah (20%), depending on the source. 14,5% alcohol.
Somewhat developed, luminous and relatively little translucent reddish-maroon color with a thin, colorless rim. The nose feels developed and quite savory with dry aromas of bloody meat, licorice root, some leather, light fruity notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of roasted game and a sweeter hint of blackberry jam. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite textural on the palate with juicy flavors of wizened boysenberries, gamey meat, some licorice root, light plummy tones, a little bit of wizened black cherry, a dark-toned hint of marmaladey sweetness and a touch of sweet, toasty oak spice. The wine is still quite muscular with its high acidity and relatively grippy, assertive tannins. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the palate. The finish is ripe, somewhat sweet-toned and quite grippy with long, complex flavors of boysenberries, some blackberry jam, light licorice tones, a little bit of leather, a hint of toasty oak spice and a salty-umami touch of beef jerky.
A very enjoyable and quite impressive Priorat that has developed to some degree. However, people wondered whether the wine is actually improving rather than just developing. This is a big, ripe wine with a great structure that can stand up to the weighty body and concentrated fruit, resulting in a wine that is seemingly very impressive and in a great shape now. However, nobody seemed to be particularly impressed by the wine - it felt like it was built to impress, but at the same time it seemed to lack character completely. It was like any other big wine with sturdy structure. At least this wine proved that Priorat wines can age easily for 25 years - but the jury is still out whether these wines actually benefit from such long aging. While a terrific wine in its own right, I'm not particularly convinced that this wine was worth the 175€.
July 11, 2020 - Consistent with prior notes. Unfortunately my last two bottles of this vintage. :-(
June 13, 2020 - Consistent with prior notes.
June 3, 2020 - Opened 5 hours before drinking and decanted 1 hour before. Drinking well, but won’t improve anymore with age. Drink up and enjoy.
May 17, 2020 - Clos Erasmus is a small production winery in Priorat, this 100% Garnacha Clos Erasmus gained its fame soon after Robert Parker awarded some of their vintages 100 points. 300 cases made at 18hl/ha. Tasted blind – A concentrated array of ripe black fruits, dark berries and smokey barrels. High percentage of new oak adding a layer of gloss to the fruits. Airy minerals on the palate but quite tannic and chunky. (88/100)
March 28, 2020 - Was more accessible than I expected so age has helped that aspect. Still deep inky/tawny without a big pour. I could tell this was huge when young, but it improved with each glass. Tannins well integrated, but there and with black cherry fruit that was there but definitely mature with iron in the background.
January 18, 2020 - Opened about 3 hours before and decanted immediately before drinking. Could have used more time. Wine is still going strong. In a good place now. Don’t think it will get better with time.
November 2, 2019 - Q4 2910 Wine Club - Aged Spaniards (The Apt): Wine #6: Opened and decanted for 4.5 hours and then rebottled. When I first tried this it was quite young tasting. There was a bit of heat left but that went away. Lots of red fruits. A certain freshness to it. Some very fine tannins. Another favorite of mine in the tasting. (7 pennies)