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.👌🏻👌🏻
— 6 days ago

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9.2

The 2021 Cornas is a solid red that’s concentrated and elegant, offering crushed violet, red plum, red cherry and iodine layers paired with stemmy gradations. The medium-bodied 2021 concludes with wonderful freshness on the savory finish. It shouldn’t take long to come around, something that cannot be said for the surrounding vintages. (Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous, March 2024)
— 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

A wine I have purchased every year since the 05 vintage. This vintage is more open, approachable that had rich dark cherry, berry fruit, savory spice, underbrush, mineral & violet. — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Another great btl of this vintage consistent with my prior notes showing clean & pure aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, smoked meat, bacon fat with savory spice, graphite, pepper, olive & violet — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Big fan of this producer where his Crozes never disappoints. This had dark cherry, berry fruit, mineral, licorice spice & violet — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This needed an hour to open showing black cherry, red berry fruit, lots of spice, mineral, underbrush, & violet. — 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Another great btl with a silky, elegant mouthfeel showing notes of dark fruits, meat, iron, mineral, savory spice & violet — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Expressive nose showing dark fruit, graphite, spice, mineral with meat, blood, iron, underbrush & violet that is balanced, finessed with a silky texture — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Elegant & floral with dark fruits meat, iron, licorice, mineral, pepper, olive & violet — 2 months ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.3

Medium ruby hue. Aromas and flavors of cherry, sage, tar, vanilla, and violet. Medium-plus body, with medium-plus tannins and high acidity. Lengthy finish. Meaty bouquet surprisingly similar to Northern Rhone Syrah. Rounded and plush. — 3 months ago