Vanessa

9.3

This is a stunning Garnatxa blend from Priorat (Catalonia), Spain!!

It’s comprised of mostly Garnatxa (Grenache), along with Syrah, and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from three parcels in the sun-soaked village of Gratallops, where Daphne Glorian purchased her first vineyard – Clos Escales – back in 1989 when she founded Clos i Terraces. 🍇

In making this move, she joined equally passionate and pioneering winemakers Álvaro Palacios (L’Ermita) and René Barbier (Clos Mogador) in a rebirth of production practices in the region; as a group (with other similar-minded producers) they altered the trajectory of Priorat’s profile as a source of tip top quality wines rivaling the best on the world stage. 👏🏻

Priorat is one of only two regions carrying the “DOCa” / “DOQ” quality designation (the other is Rioja), subject to various stipulations including regular auditing by a tasting panel. ✅

This particular wine is “Laurel” which is Clos i Terraces’s second wine, next to Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat’s finest and most sought-after wines. Yet it tastes like a flagship wine in and of itself.🫶🏻🫶🏻

It is absolutely beautiful, with a medium ruby hue, medium (+) intensity of ripe and fresh strawberry, red cherry, red plum, violet, black licorice, fennel, clove, baking spice aromas and flavors. It’s dry, with medium(+) acidity, a medium(+) body, high alcohol (14% ABV), and medium tannins that are fine-grained. 😆

This wine vinified and aged in a combination of vessels, including, large oak vats, concrete tanks, second and third fill French oak barrels, and clay amphorae, lending to its texture and complexity.👌🏻👌🏻
— 15 days ago

Fredybeans

9.6

Couleur eau de roche
Nez envoûtant d ébahie de cassis et d épices très délicates
Bouche énorme pas sa dimension en longueur et sa masse en largeur Le Tout sans succès et sans gras chapeau — 3 years ago

with Pico

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.1

Checking in at 14.83% alcohol, the 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a refined and predominately red-fruited beauty. Licorice and herbaceous components add more dimension. Framed by gentle tannins and more medium- than full-bodied, the 2021 ends with a bright finish. (Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, June 2024)
— 19 days ago

J. Kim

9.0

This has more mineral dimension than the others. Lacks a little bit of tension in the foundation. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.6

Another year in bottle has added unexpected depths and dimension to the 2016 San Leonardo. It wafts up with an alluring bouquet of smoky black currant and plum skins, complicated by savory herbs, hints of white pepper and fresh tobacco. It's hard chiseled edges have formed into smooth contours now, velvety yet youthfully dense, washing mineral encased dark red and black berries across a core of brisk acidity as a combination of saline-minerals and grippy tannins add tension toward the close. This finishes incredibly long yet also structured, begging for time in the cellar, as hints of licorice and earth tones grumble under an air of inner violet florals. The potential within the 2016 San Leonardo is off the charts, yet it will require a good amount of time to come fully into focus. Bury your bottles deep. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)
— 2 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.5

Juicy, waxy, mineral and spicy. Pineapple. Honeyed, with an incredible spice and tartness. So honeyed and delicious, but the acid and minerality provide unreal dimension. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.

Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.

As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years. — 6 months ago

Lyn Farmer

9.1

This is developing very well - delicious Dolcetto - velvet tannins, crisp acidity, silky texture and full of blackberry, black cherry and plum flavors. A hint of cedar and forest floor adds dimension. Lovely wine indeed. — 2 years ago

Kevin Cahoon

9.1

Black and red cherry fruit mix with a touch of oak spice along with a loamy, mineral accent. Nice Pinot fruit in the palate but missing a touch of texture with leanish tannins. I bit dusty in the finish. Enjoyable but lacks a bit of charm and dimension. Doesn’t appear to be any huge upside to much more cellar time. — 2 years ago

Big Wave Dave

9.3

Concentrated but not over extracted. Profound depth of super old vines speaking clearly. Almost another dimension of flavours. Big but complex. — 3 years ago