Llicorella Vins Clar del Bosc Priorat 2019
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Llicorella is the Catalan name for the type of soil in Priorat, which consists mainly of reddish-black slate with small particles of mica quartz, the different layers of soil being filled in by clayey soil.
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Features focused flavors of blackberry and boysenberry, wild herbs and violet, vanilla and toast set in a medium- to full-bodied frame, yet this is fresh, harmonious and never too weighty. The racy finish of minerally tar and smoke is sculpted by fine tannins. Garnacha, Cariñena, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2029.
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2020-
James
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Llicorella Vins is the Gil Family's winery in the DOCa Priorat, located in the village of Gratallops. Priorat is known for its rich red blends and iconic slate soils called Llicorella. The Gil Family's estate is composed of hillside terraced vineyards between 15 and 25-years-old, planted in those blue slate and quartz soils, known as llicorella, nestled among pine and olive trees. Low yields of Garnacha, Cariñena (Carignan), Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grow near the estate, ensuring that the hand-harvested grapes arrive at the winery in optimal conditions. The vineyards are dry farmed, without the use of any pesticides or herbicides, ensuring the quality of the grapes and soils in which the grow. Each varietal ferments separately in small, temperature controlled, stainless steel tanks for 10 days and then is transferred to French oak barrels for aging. The winery produces two boutique wines in limited quantities: Bluegray and Clar del Bosc.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.