Alvaro Palacios Gratallops 2009 Priorat

This is a softer style of Priorat. Roasted meats and berry fruit with dried herbs and spice on the nose. Silky on the palate with again roasted meats, spice, oak and herbs - typical Alvario Palacios class. Dense black fruits are the main interest, tannins are ripe and it's quite soft already.

The 2009 Gratallops continues the theme of more complex aromas, greater structure, as well as a better blending of power and elegance. 93-97/100 Wine Spectator. Alvaro Palacios established his namesake winery in 1989. The flagship L’Ermita made its debut in 1993. Finca Dofi and L’Ermita vineyards are farmed biodynamically. All of the wines are bottled without filtration. In 2008 Palacios was the last grower in Priorat to harvest, waiting out rains that diluted other growers’ fruit. It appears that 2009 was a slightly more successful vintage for Alvaro Palacios (and most Priorat producers) than was 2008. All of the 2009s were tasted from barrel samples at the Bodega in January 2011.

Alvaro Palacios Priorat

The region has expanded nearly four times since but Alvaro’s determination to produce the best wines from this difficult terrain has not diminished.The vines are planted mostly on very steep slopes at a high altitude. The roots go down very deep into the schist soil and organic viticulture is practised.

The Camins is Alvaro’s entry level wine here and it is great value for money. The grapes come from a range of climats around Gratallops and from 10 – 50 year old vines planted on terraced slopes. The cepage is 50% Carignena, 40% Garnacha and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and the wine spends 8 months in older French oak barrels. 

Les Terrasses is a blend of 60% Carignena, 30% Garnacha and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with a high proportion of the blend coming from very old vines. After malolactic fermentation, the wine spends 12 months in a mixture of new and old French oak barrels.

Finca Dofi is a single vineyard blend of 55% Garnacha and 45% Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot from fairly young vines but with plenty of complexity. This complexity is enhanced by 19 months ageing in mostly new French barrels.

L’Ermita was first released in 1993 and is considered one of the finest wines from this region. The grapes come from a vineyard of the same name and from vines of 80 – 100 years of age, planted on very steep slopes. It spends 20 months in 100% new French barrels. In 2006, for the first time, the L’Ermita is 100% Garnacha, with a haunting, ethereal quality and delicacy that marks it out as truly special.

Gratallops is a new subappelation in the Priorat region, similar to a village level. Older vines (40 years average) lend complexity to this wine, which also exhibits lovely minerality and a spicy juiciness on the palate. The blend here is 45% Garnacha, 45 % Carignena and 10% Cabernet/Syrah.