JancisRobinson.com

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  12/7/2010 (link)

  (Álvaro Palacios, Les Terrasses Velles Vynes Priorat Red) Subscribe to see review text.

JebDunnuck.com

• By Jeb Dunnuck
  Back to France, Issue #3, 2/1/2010 (link)

  (Alvaro Palacios Priorat Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

• By Josh Raynolds
  September/October 2009, IWC Issue #146 (link)

  (Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes Priorat) Subscribe to see review text.

Wine Library TV

• By Gary Vaynerchuk
  Spanish and Argentinean Wine Tasting with a Special Guest, Episode #968, 1/14/2011 (link) 88 points

  (Palacios Les Terrasses) #3; VaynerPAZZZ; COLOR-dark; NOSE-a chemically Fabreze element; some bright blackberries; big wine; more New World; PALATE-this is a young wine; it's solid, there's a delicious factor and well made, but a hair uninspired; a little too textbook and nothing stands out (like white bread); it's good, but boring; JR-91; GV-88

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  3/2/2010 (link)

  (LES TERRASSES Alvaro Palacios) Palacios Dear Friends, This is a beautiful wine that deserves our attention - it ushers in a new style for Priorat that will be much admired by those that lean toward Chambolle-Musigny as their benchmark. If you collect village-level red Burgundy in the $30 range, this wine should be high on your list...and it doesn't contain a single ounce of Pinot Noir. As has become the trend throughout Europe, new oak use is on the decline (much to the chagrin of the coopers). While much of this is due to changing palate preferences, it's also due to a symbiotic set of circumstances dictated by the economic times - barrels are expensive and it's far less costly to use old oak or keep your wine in tank. While "cheaper", this no-oak trend has forced vintners to work even harder. Why? Without the new wood, their wine has to be better. New oak can cover the flaws in wine (especially red wine) and tank fermented examples raised in old oak must be at their best or it is eventually discernible in the nose and on the palate. Enter Alvaro Palacios - keen for a challenge and ready to lead the way in Priorat as he has done for the last two decades. If more transparent and fresher wine (with lower alcohol levels) are elements his customers desire, he has just the wine - a new wine (with an old name) never before produced - the 2007 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes. Previously, the Les Terrasses was Palacios' entry level Priorat from younger vines - not anymore. In 2007, this wine has been transformed to a smaller production blend of old vine fruit fermented completely in tank (unlike Finca Dofi and l'Ermita which are fermented in new oak). He also decided to raise the wine in 80-90% older oak, with only a small amount of new wood depending on the vintage. Of equal or greater importance to consumers (and what makes this wine intriguing from a market perspective), was his next decision - to keep the wine at half the price of the Finca Dofi - even though this wine is every bit the equal of the Dofi, just a different expression. The temptation to throw another $60 cuvee on the world stage was certainly there but, at this price, this is a potential game-changing wine for Priorat. It ushers in a new style and pricing philosophy that should prove to be one of the most intelligent two-step marketing moves the region has witnessed: give the people the best you have (at a fair price from the get-go) and they will support you. With the 2007 Terrasses Velles Vinyes, Palacios hopes to deliver world-class quality at about the same tariff as a base Chateauneuf-du-Pape or villages Burgundy from the Cotes de Nuits - I can say with certainty, he has succeeded beyond what most would have imagined. I've never been a big fan of this winery but this example has changed my opinion. From a majority of Carignan (Carinena) with the remainder Grenache (Garnacha) and a small amount of Cabernet and Syrah (I believe less than 5%), this wine teems with personality and its distinctive Burgundy meets Priorat character appears more suited for Allen Meadows (or Tanzer) than previous foxtrots with other US critics. Downright sophisticated in its delivery of gorgeous fruit and structure, this Bonnes-Mares-like example combines the magic and mystery of a great Burgundy with the intensity and elegant structure of Priorat. A top-level success that should age for 10-15 years without issue: VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for a new style (and pricing philosophy) in a region teetering on the brink of pricing themselves out of the world market. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price: 2007 Alvaro Palacios "Les Terrasses" Velles Vinyes (this is not the "Camins del Priorat" - that wine is the new entry-level/young vine cuvee in place of the old Terrasses - confused yet?!) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Spain2379