Browse Tag

priorat

Roure of the crowd

Jaume Sabaté Mestre “Mas Plantadeta” 2004 Priorat Garnatxa Blanc Roure (Cataluña) – Big, heavy, and sun-baked. Minerality abounds, with moderate wood slightly masking peach and apricot fruit. So heavy it’s very nearly a syrup, and the structure is completely wonky, yet one can’t help but feel that with a different upbringing… (10/06)

Fennel, anise, Llicorella

Llicorella “Gran Nasard” 2002 Priorat “Mas Saura” (Cataluña) – Beautiful. Rocks fill a gorgeous, plummy, dark berry fruit salad with good acidity. Long and crisp, balanced throughout, and potentially stunning. (2/08)

Llicorella “Gran Nasard” 2003 Priorat “Gran Nasard” (Cataluña) – Juicy black fruit over stones. Dry rocks fill the mouth. Big, balanced, and good; even, perhaps a little bit of fun (in the context of Priorat). (2/08)

TN: Roally prioratized

Goyard “Domaine de Roally” 1999 Mâcon-Village “Tradition” (Mâcon) – Mushroomy aged chardonnay through gauze. There’s a beige-toned minerality and lightly pleasant spice over a wet, fungal earth foundation, but everything is a little muted. Is the wine just closed, or is this the result of mild cork failure? In any case, it’s very nice, though probably not all it could be. (10/06)

Grape(s): chardonnay. Alcohol: 13%. Closure: cork. Importer: Louis/Dressner/LDM.

Sangenís “Celler Cal Pla” 2001 Priorat Porrera Blanco (Cataluña) – Almost shockingly bronze, and evidence that the cork was not a perfect physical seal points to the culprit. Still, there’s old wood spice and a mild motel iron structure to a fully mature blend of fermented flowers and extremely overripe peach residue. Though this description might not indicate so, it’s a good wine…though certainly not a great one. (10/06)

Grape(s): 40% macabeu, 30% garnatxa (grenache blanc), 30% moscatell. Alcohol: 13.5%. Closure: cork. Importer: European Cellars.