Les Terrasses 2011

Alvaro Palacios is the youngest of the  “magnificent five“  and the last to arrive in Priorat, when he was only 24 years old, invited by his old friend, René Barbier.  The pair had worked together in the 80's at Herencia Remondo, the Palacios family's winery in Rioja. This brilliant winemaker is among the most well known Spanish wine personalities on the international scene, and has revolutionized the style of the new Priorat, producing wines which are ever more subtle, fluid and elegant, although, from a winegrowing or winemaking point of view, this would seem impossible. These are genuine examples of terroir wines in which, through the use of the best traditional winemaking practices, the soil and the grape take precedence over the winemaking process.

Appearance

Fairly bright garnet red.

Nose

Pronounced aromas of wild fruit mingling with notes of broom, undergrowth and liquorice against a mineral, dry stone backdrop.

Palate

Delicious and full of flavour, medium bodied, with a fresh vegetal sensation. Long finish with notes of undergrowth and minerals.

Comment

Made with grapes from over 100 hectares of vineyards planted on the area’s characteristic Licorella slate terraces.  The bodega sources these from small Priorat wine growers, whom it advises and oversees.

Despite being the second wine of the Gratallops winery, it respects the same philosophy as its older siblings, L'Ermita and Finca Dofí.  This wine is easier to drink and more accessible than its predecessors, with a perfect balance of elegance and freshness.  It is a faithful interpretation of a more traditional Priorat, representing excellent value for money. This 2011 is similar to the previous vintage, developing more refined lines, but retaining  the character of the land and the environment.

Recommended with an oven roasted shoulder of lamb with aromatic herbs.