If you don't know anything about the Priorat region, this is the wine for you. It is absolutely delicious and fascinating, with full bodied, blueberry and dark fruit flavours and a fabulous structure, juicy mouthfeel, fine tannins and a long finish with a classic note of flint. It is high in alcohol but it is balanced and never hot: this is just a brilliant red wine.
Priorat is a small, ancient region in the north east of Spain toward the French border, from Barcelona. It's very definitely Catalunia, with the use of Garnatxa (rather than Grenache from France of Garnacha from Spain) as a clue. And it's blended with Cinsault (again, that's not the local spelling; they call it Samsó). This gives a truly French and specifically Roussillon characteristic to the ingredients, but here, south of the Pyrenees, the soils, altitude and climate are more arid and greater diurnal temperature (the difference between cold nights and hot days) change the out come radically.
This could only be Spanish wine, even from the colour, but definitely from the nose and palate. It is gorgeous and if you don't know what old vines Grenache can do, again, this wine is going to blow your mind. Subtle at first, it grows and grows with almost floral notes over the powerful but supple and luscious palate with plummy, blueberry, spicy and herbaceous flavours. It's very, very good and very, very tasty.
These high octane wines can be tricky to match, but we've found that big, hearty stews or slow-cooked meats are a very easy way to balance the alcoholic heights of this wine. However, don't underestimate its classiness - if you serve this slightly cooler than normal, the alcohol feels totally under control and it is a delicious pairing for cheeses.
Region: Priorat
Country: Spain
Grape(s): Grenache, Cinsault
Style: Smooth, Rich, Powerful, Full, Fruity, Elegant, Dark, Complex, Balanced
Best food matches: Tapas, Pork, Pizza, Pasta, Lamb, Hard Cheeses
Alcohol: 15.5%