@savoirpair Prepare for Priorat! Black fruit and baking spices make a perfect complement for Al Pastor Tacos! This Spanish wine is one you need to know about.
♬ Spring - Tollan Kim
I could write volumes about Priorat – it’s one of my absolute favorite wines. It’s from a region that’s about 2 hours west of Barcelona. The continental climate that has long summers and receives very little rainfall. Many producers are at higher elevations, allowing for more cooling so that the grapes don’t get baked. Ripening is not a problem. Priorat is a region that has been designated with a DOQ – meaning it’s recognized for a specific type of wine from a specific geographical area.
The 2 most common grapes for red wines from Priorat are Garnacha (you might know as Grenache) and Carinena (Carignan in French). But there are a number of other varietals that winemakers may use and still qualift as Priorat. They include Syrah, Cab Franc, Tempranillo and others. So the winemakers have quite a bit of leeway in deciding which wines to blend. As a result, there’s a tradition of innovation in winemaking there, unlike say, Burgundy, where the only game in town is Pinot Noir.
This particular Priorat was a gift we received. It’s the 2005 vintage of Closa Battlet from the village of Gratallops. Priorat wines are known to be big and bold, with lost of black fruit, violets and spices, and that’s exactly what this wine is. But since it’s had almost 20 years to mellow, the tannins have settled down and this wine is just outstanding. It’s still packing a lot of flavor, and you feel the high alcohol content burn a tad, but not the huge, overpowering tannin that a younger vintage would show.
Wines from this region have gained a cult status over the last 20 years, and many sell for over $100/bottle. This winemaker – Marc Ripoll – has been making spectacular wines that are a little more affordable. You’ll be hard-pressed to find the ’05 anywhere (let me know if you do!), but his more recent vintages are available under the Cal Battlet label. (and it ships from Spain) Ask your local wine store about Priorat they recommend, but make sure it’s at least 5 or 6 years old before you pop it open. This is a wine that really needs to age before you drink it!