Priorats Blindtasted

Introduction by Ross Bott, tasting organizer
Priorat is a small appellation in the south of Spain in the Catalonia region along the Mediterranean. Although it is not far from the sea, it is in a very hilly region that is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It is the most special part of a larger appellation called Montsant, which is the source of many of the greatest Spanish red wine values these days.

The first winegrowing activity in Priorat dates back to 1163, where monks in the monestary Scala Dei began a vineyard (there is still a winery called Scala Dei producing wine today). The local abbot, or "prior" as they are called in Spain, was very powerful, controlling many of the villages in the region, and it is from this that the name Priorat derives.

Winegrowing continued unabated until the 1850s, when the phylloxera bugs (brought over from the US) reached the region. Like in Bordeaux, virtually all of the vineyards had to be pulled out and general replanting to resistent root stocks didn't occur until the 1950s. Priorat wines remained rather ordinary until the 1980s, when two great winemakers, Rene Barbier and Alvaro Palacios realized the potential of the region and began buying land in the area. When their wines began to get rave reviews, other small wineries started, and in the past few years, the area has been one of the most prolific regions in Spain for great wines.

One of the other ways that Priorat is unique is the varietal composition of their wines. In the US, we are used to varietal naming of the wines (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay), and this approach is generally followed in Australia, New Zealand, and several other regions. In France and Germany, the regional name takes first precedence, but each region typically uses grapes within the same varietal family -- e.g. the Cabernet family of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, or the Rhone family of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault, where each varietal in the family has somewhat similar characteristics. Although Priorat has strict rules as to what varietals can be used in the appellation, the mix of varietals spans traditional boundaries: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Garnacha Tinta (Grenache), and Carinena (Carignane). Furthermore, there are wide variations in the mix of grapes used, ranging from Grenache-Carignane mixes to almost pure Cabernets.

On Thursday, we'll have a collection of Priorats from some of the best wineries in the region, including Clos de l'Obac (one of five initial modern day wineries which launched Priorat to fame), Rotllan Torra, Val LLach and Mas Doix (two of the more recent and very highly regarded entrants).

• 2005 Celler Vall Llach Priorat Embruix 93 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #1 (my #2) – 31 pts; 3 firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds, 0 last places – dark red violet color; deep sweet plum, caramel oak, pecan pie, fig and chocolate nose; dense, black fruit, baked plum, charcoal, chocolate and tar palate; medium-plus herbal finish 93+ pts.

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• 1999 Morlanda (Viticultors del Priorat) Priorat Morlanda Criança 90 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #2 (my #6) – 37 pts.; 2, 2, 2, 0 – dark red violet color with pale meniscus; brett, herbal, smoke and charcoal nose; brett, tangy, smoky tangerine, clementine, tart plum and preserved plum palate; medium finish 90+ pts.

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• 1998 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant 94 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #3 (my #1) – 37 pts.; 2, 1, 1, 0 – dark red violet color; nice, maturing, smoke, roasted pork, lavender and charcoal nose; tasty, layered, tart plum, charcoal, roasted fruit and lavender palate; medium-plus finish 94+ pts.

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• 2000 Gran Clos Priorat Gran Clos 87 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #4 (my #7) – 40 pts.; 1, 1, 4, 0 – dark magenta color; VA, sweet smoke, oaky and charcoal nose; focused tart berry, herbal, bay laurel and charcoal palate, tight yet; short-medium finish 87+ pts.

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• 2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #5 (my #4) – 41 pts.; 1, 1, 1, 0 – dark red violet color; initial savory and musty nose changes after 10 minutes in the glass to a berry, boysenberry, smoked meat, bay laurel and orange spice nose; bay laurel, sage, charcoal and tart plum palate; medium finish (needs 2-3 more years)

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• 2003 Mas Doix Priorat Salanques 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #6 (my #5) – 45 pts.; 0, 2, 0, 0 – dark red violet color; very focused baked berry, mulberry, berry, raspberry syrup and American oak nose; concentrated, almost syrupy, berry, blackberry and ripe plum palate with firm tannins; medium finish (needs a few more years)

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• 1998 Vinícola del Priorat Priorat Ònix Clássic 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #7 (my #3) – 47 pts.; 1, 1, 2, 0 – dark cherry color with pale meniscus; herbal, blueberry, blue plum and clove nose; tasty, tart blueberry, blue plum, herbs, mulberry, sage, charcoal and clove palate; medium finish 92+ pts.

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• 1993 Costers del Siurana Priorat Clos de L'Obac Flawed

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Group's #8 (my #8) – 80 pts.; 0, 0, 0, 10 – dark red violet color with pale meniscus; odd, murky, spoiled food and TCA nose; tart, red fruit, TCA-affected; very short finish

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