Winemaker Notes
Blend: 55% Carignan, 45% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The Doix Costers de Vinyes Velles is a blend of 55% Garnacha and the rest Cariñena from very old vines planted on schist (llicorella) soils in the village of Poboleda, where the family originated and the winery and vineyards are located. The 2012 was fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts and matured in new 225-liter French oak barrels for 16 months. Only the best grapes tolerate such oak treatment, and although there are still some oak-related aromas the wine has swallowed down the barrique; such is the power and concentration of the juice here. The palate is XL, intense and powerful but with very good balance, freshness (2012 can be a great vintage for Priorat) and chewy tannins. It is a superb, powerful Priorat. 5,500 bottles were produced.
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James Suckling
A perfumed nose of blackberries and blackcurrants with floral undertones. Some white pepper and cedar, too. Full body, concentrated and juicy tannins and a refreshing and citrusy finish. Drink now.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.