Winemaker Notes
Les Crestes is a 3 hectare vineyard planted with young-vine Garnatxa averaging 20 years old with makes up the bulk of the cuvée named for this site. About 10% each Syrah (from Mas de l’Osso) and 80 year old vine Carinyena (from Els Ullastres) are added to compliment the Garnatxa from Les Crestes. Despite its reasonable price, the same care is taken in the winemaking: a first selection in the vineyard, a second at the cellar door and a third after destemming followed aging in neutral French oak barrels.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The most approachable of the reds is the young 2018 Les Crestes, produced with fruit from their younger vines. The fact that this is mostly Garnacha also adds to the (relative) lightness and drinkability in a cool-ish year like 2018, and it has more red fruit and fantastic freshness, with fine tannins and very integrated oak.
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Decanter
Subtle and appealing floral aromas. Violets and blackberries on the palate, with a rusty earthiness and integrated tannins.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
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.