Alvaro Palacios

Verkostungsnotiz von Luis Gutierrez vom 30. Juli 2019:

The regional 2019 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes was produced with a blend of grapes from 80 plots in eight villages from Priorat, 82% Garnacha with 17% Cariñena and 1% white grapes, a year unusually high in Garnacha and unusually low in Cariñena that suffered a lot from the heat. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes fermented in concrete and oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in French oak barrels for 12 months. What happened here is that Cariñena was burned by a heat spike of 43 degrees Celsius on the 28th of June, and there was a wildfire in Montsant that perhaps could have warmed things up even more. I think there might be a change toward more Garnacha and elegance in the wines from Álvaro Palacios in Priorat, as this is brighter and less rustic than this wine used to be, more polished, perfumed and fine. The year of heat and drought. 101,600 bottles produced.

 

Verkostungsnotiz James Suckling vom 14. Oktober 2021:

A solid Priorat with fine-grained tannins and mineral, berry and light spice undertones. Medium body. Fruity and focused finish. Drink or hold.

 

Luis Gutierrez Verkostungsnotiz 30. Oktober 2020:

The quality/price champion 2018 La Montesa is now 100% Garnacha from organically farmed vineyards from the 100-hectare family property that gives the wine its name. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats and matured in barriques, 85% of them produced with French oak and the rest with American oak. It feels very young, and the oak is still present; and the American oak, which is spicy and smoky, with ashy incense and vanilla with some sweet undertones, gives it a character that brings back the character of the traditional wines from yesteryear in a very clean way. It has vibrant freshness and should develop nicely with a couple of years in bottle. It has great purity and typicity, less Mediterranean than the 2017, nicely textured, velvety. I think the breakthrough vintage for this wine was 2015. This has all the grapes that would have been used for the Propiedad label, which was not bottled separately in 2018. It carries the EU organic-farming label. It's quite impressive for the quantity they produce—700.000 bottles. They started bottling in April 2020 from a single master blend. I tasted one of the first bottles.
 

Verkostungsnotiz von James Suckling vom 14. Oktober 2021 für den Palacios La Vendimia Tinto DOC Rioja 2020:

A fresh and refined red with cherry and berry character, fine tannins and hints of orange peel. Medium body, light tannins and a bright finish. Delicious now.