This is really bright and vibrant, but with all they savoury, earthy, herby stuff that makes Spanish granache so tasty. Raspberry and black cherry on the nose, hot rocks, sage and rosemary, earthy and musk. It has a core of juicy fruit wound up in a ball of light tannins, minerally acid and good length. It’s smooth and refreshing. Highly enjoyable and drinkable, I’d drink now but there is nothing wrong with keeping it for a couple of years. Excellent value too. And yes, I did buy it for the label… 92 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition RRP: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cellercapcanes.com

Other Vintages: 2000, 2004, 2005

I’ve got a couple of entry level on the tasting bench at the moment, this is the first. This was a big hit for me last year, a wine from Priorat at this price level and quality was quite rare at the time. But now wines in the $40-$60 price bracket are the must have item for many importers. And who’s complaining, seeing as the top wines from the region are going up again this year? There doesn’t seem to be one style at the price point, some are big rounded, easy drinking things, others are a bit tighter and focused. This falls into the later camp…

Plenty of Priorat character here, sooty, black coal kind of notes up on the nose first off, then a bit of hot tar and violets. After that the fruit: raspberry, plum and light cherry notes. The tannins are a little gritty and grainy, but it’s all nicely balanced and there is acid, enough to keep the finish sparkling clean, tangy and long. A similar profile on the palate, a bit of licorice and wood spice adds a bit extra. Overall, an excellent example of Priorat that doesn’t wander off in to rustic red wine, it looks like fine wine from Priorat.91 Pts

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2004

Now it’s not the kind of wine that requires a huge note, but it’s a blend of Garnacha tinta, Parraleta, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that gets a short spell in some new American oak.

Note of plum and dark cherry on the nose, a slight coconut and vanilla note. An overall impression of earthy warmth and undergrowth. Kind of chunky in the mouth, firm tannins with good acid, a fun wine thats enjoyable with or without food. The palate is much the same as the nose. Not too serious, however it holds my interest enough to want a second glass. 88 Pts.

It starts off smokey and sooty, then adds some herbs tangled up with some raspberry and plum fruit. In the mouth it has a backbone of acid with some supple tannins, but overall it comes over elegant and rounded. Its quite joyful and easy to drink. Crunchy minerals dominate the palate, with plenty of sunny raspberry and cherry, earthy and spice. Really nice stuff. 91 Pts.

Source: Negociants Australia RRP: $47 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.torres.es

What a great little wine, plenty of complexity with a good overview of the landscape in Priorat: herbs, minerals, rocks and sun shine. The nose shows lavender, violets, and a little spearmint  after a while too.  On the palate its got a sarsaparilla, plum and cherry thing happening, moving on to blueberry as the wine opens up. Some minerals, pepper and hot cinnamon on the finish. A really convincing and complete example of Priorat to drink now and over the next 3 or 4 years. 91 Pts.

Source: Negociants Australia RRP: $65 Closure: Conventional Cork

Bright fresh garnarcha  fruit with some smokey, rocky and toasty notes with raspberry and plum fruit. Easy to drink, but there is a bit of structure there. Under ripe apple like acidity and good length on the finish. More raspberry and raspberry leaf on the palate with some rocky earthy notes. Clean, fresh and cheap. Perfect for easy nights at home or a quick snack in a bar. 87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $23 Closure:Screwcap

Web: www.cellercapcanes.com

This has reinforced my position that wines from Priorat are better drunk within 5 years of release. It’s a cracking wine right now, minerally and bursting with flavours that make it well worth the price of admission. It’s not the they don’t age, it’s just that they don’t look as good old as they do young (kind of like the rest of us). Of course there are exceptions to every rule…

Like most of Spain, 2006 is the last in a hat trick (3) of very good to great vintages. 07 and 08 were quite mixed, a bit wet at times and otherwise very strange weather. So lap up these 06s while you can.

Very similar in stature and style to the 05, the nose shows that classic sooty, hot rock note along with raspberry and blackberry fruit, a bit of wild sage and lavendar and raspberry leaf. Dark Chocolate and woody spices are in there too. Very agreeable and approachable, lip smaking acidity and light fluffy tannins. A shovel load of rocky mineralsn the big finish. A very good intro to serious Priorat. Perfect with a big steak from the Botanical and grilled over a wood fire. 92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: Around $80 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2004, 2005

A deep and complex nose of black cherry and raspberry, with some subtle chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon and hot rocks. Structured, but very much open for business on the palate with excellent balance and minerally acid. On the palate the step up in complexity shows up again, with layered notes of raspberry, dark cherry, mulberry, a little sage leaf, white pepper and a shake of anise. It’s smooth and lithe, but with a deep and intense core of high quality fruit. Impressive stuff. 93 Pts.

Source: Heart and Soil Price: $70 Closure: Conventional Cork

There are two wines in the range, this being the ‘entry level’. Both of the wines are from old vines, the Samso (Carinena) and Granacha vines for this wine are 35 to 65 years old . It’s aged in 1 and 2 year old oak. You can tell that these wines are made with a fair bit of attention to detail, nothing sticks out, the balance is unbelievable, overall it’s complex very enjoyable. If Roda made a wine in Monsant, this is what it would be like.

The colour is quite dark red, but don’t let that fool you. The nose is subtle and complex with raspberry leaf, red currants and raspberry, a few toasty notes with a bit of white pepper. Fine and smooth in the mouth, its round with a few edges to provide contrast. It’s calm and confidant, but with an impish side. Juicy raspberry and and cola with some hot cinnamon, mulberry and the odd musk stick here or there. Fine chalky tannins turn up on the long finish. This is joyous stuff. 91 Pts.

Source: Heart and Soil Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

The nose starts things off punchy with strawberries and raspberries, rocky minerals and bunch of wild herbs.  In the mouth you’ll find a silky, but broad texture.  A long dry finish with a touch of soft tannin.  More raspberry and strawberry with a red apple skin note. A difficult wine to really describe well, but excellent rosado. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $23 Closure:Screwcap

Web: www.cellercapcanes.com

Other Vintages: 2006

Garnacha rosados tend to be a bit spicer and herby than most, it’s one of the reasons I like them. Just a bit more interesting. The nose on this is full of raspberries and strawberries, a bit of toffee and herby undergrowth.  As usual, it’s dry and has plenty of acid to clean up any fatty food you may be eating at the time.  This does show some light tannins on the finish, which gives it a bit of grip. More of the same on the palate, with a bit of added spice and apple. Nice. 87 Pts.

Source:Woods Wines/Toro Wines Price: Around $18 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasaragonesas.com

Other Vintages: 2005

Earthy raspberry fruit on the nose with what I’m calling a Dr. Pepper/cola note, so that would be spearmint, wild sage, hot cinnamon and loads of pepper. Long with sandy tannins on the finish, the acid drives things along. A very spicy palate with plenty of pepper, light wood notes, more mint with raspberry and cola. This all leads to a kind of medicinal character, that I think matches the fruit, but a couple of people that I drank this with found it a bit too much. I like it, a solid wine from a hot vintage. 90 Pts.

Source: Bibendum Wine Co. Price: $57  Closure: Conventional Cork

A bit of coco, cherry and sappy plums with a bit of pez and sawdust. A bit more air show raspberry, slight violets, white pepper and sooty earth. Yeah its complex and enjoyable on the nose. Unfortunately, its a bit flat and clinical on the palate. The tannins are a bit hard on the finish, but overall it has good balance. A bit medicinal tasting with some clove and pepper, plum and rosella, cola. There’s plenty there to like and its quite a good wine for the vintage, but it just doesn’t come together for the big points. 89 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $90 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.masdengil.com

I’ve been a big fan of Priorat in the past, but the price rises over the past couple of vintages have pushed these wines into a whole new price bracket. Plus they can be challenging, confronting wines that are more for the head than the heart. That doesn’t sound like fun, does it? Well, maybe in a fetish kind of way. Actually, the cheaper wines can be much more enjoyable than ultra expensive ones. At times I think you get much better value over the other side of the Iberian Peninsula in the Douro Valley.

Of course, as soon as I take such a bold position this wine turns up on the tasting bench. It’s $150 a bottle, which is by no means cheap, but it’s a spanking, complex wine that is worth the money if you like you’re into wine from Priorat. This is clearly up there with the top wines of the very good 2001 vintage and is drinking really well right now.

A classic Priorat nose of soot, hot rocks, raspberry, cherry pie, plum and bramble. Its a pleasure in the mouth, its well integrated and shows superior balance. Subtle tannins towards the finish and none of the heat that you can find in some Priorats, but it does weigh in at 15%. The palate shows plenty of minerals with some clove, raspberry and plum, cola, hot cinnamon and musk sticks. There’s enough here to restore my faith, its a little wild but that’s the point. 94 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $150 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.masdengil.com

I've had a couple of requests to open a bottle of this wine, so I ducked into Boccaccio Cellars on Sunday and picked up a bottle. I went home decanted for an hour or so while I cooked up a couple of good steaks. It looked a bit odd to start with and really not pleasant to drink, so I had a glass and put the rest away for the next night. So you get two notes for the price of one here, one on the first night and on on the second. There may be a third note after tonight. This is a very intriguing wine, but not much fun at this stage of its life and something for the wine obsessed rather than hedonistic drinking. I'd love to try another bottle each year for the next 10 years to see where it goes, but given the price rise (about double the price of the 2001, an extra $50 on the 04) I'll only be buying a few.

Night 1: A very odd nose with vanilla pancake mix, barnyard, soot, aniseed powder, raspberry with some sawdust. With more air some notes of roast meats, sage and cheese. Lets just say it's extremely complex and confused at this stage. Not particularly nice in the mouth, angular with big, blocky tannins and confronting acidity. On the palate it shows sarsaparilla, dark fruits with mocha, plenty of cinnamon and clove. Very complex, for many this would be overly complex. A wine for the S&M fetishist, there is some great pleasure to be had here, but you have to be willing to put up with the pain too. Perhaps cellaring will sort it out, however there are some extreme balance issues. 91+ Pts.

Night 2: Looking better, but still a odd on the nose: varnish and coconut with barnyard, but the fruit has arrived with beautiful raspberry and cherry with some woody mocha and pipe tobacco notes. The usual soot and minerals is in there as well. The mouth feel has come up and shows excellent balance with soft fruit tannins and a shot of acid down the centre. Very powerful on the palate with rocks and minerals with cherry, plum and raspberry, and mocha. Not as spicy as last night, which is good. A very intense, complex and intellectual wine, with plenty of time in the cellar needed to show its best. Leave for 5 years before attemping. 94+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $190 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 1996, 2003, 2004