Red wines from Cataluña

Robust, full-bodied Catalonian red, bursting with cassis, coffee, cedar and liquorice notes. There's the richness of fruitcake too—this is a relatively extravagant style. Silky-smooth tannins and a long, complex finish.

Oak aged for one year in a combination of French and American wood, with five further months aging in stainless steel and then a year's cellaring in bottle before release.

This would make a great choice if you're planning to cook fillet steak, rack of lamb or even good homemade burgers.

Mas Codina sits in the Alt Penedès, Catalonia, and is protected by two benevolent mountain ranges. All the fruit it uses is estate-grown.

The Penedès region spans a long strip of land between the sea and the mountains, half-way between Barcelona and Tarragona.

The DO is made up of three distinct zones: The Penedès Superior (near the inland mountain range), The Penedès Marítim (between the sea and the coastal hills) and Penedès Central (the plain between these areas). The climate is typically Mediterranean, mild and warm.

Penedès has long been associated with innovative winemaking practices. In the 1970s, it became the first area in Spain to use stainless steel equipment and cold-fermentation. Since then the Penedès producers have been making excellent modern wines, blending native with French varieties.

Inky-hued, perfumed red with hedonistic, opulent aromas and flavours of ripe blackberry, liquorice, prune and spiced raspberry. Earth, leather and cigar-box notes add complexity to a categorically full-bodied wine with rounded tannins and a sumptuous, neverending finish.

This is a real must-try wine from a star winemaker, and a powerful partner for full-blooded dishes such as fillet steak, hearty casseroles, or spiced sausages.

The photo below shows Acústic Celler winemaker Albert Jané getting his teeth into the distinctive llicorella soil of the Priorat and Montsant area. A mix of ancient slate and quartz, it contributes largely to the unique terroir expressed in Albert's organically produced and singingly ‘acoustic’ wines.

‘Full-bodied but deliciously smooth and opulent, with rich dark fruits, plenty of spice, and well-integrated tannins on the finish. The Acústic red is also well worth trying. With barbecued beef.’
John Wilson, Irish Times January 2019 (link)

“Acústic (makers of Braó) produces wines from 40- to 65-year-old vines ... The wines offer the aromas and flavours of Priorat at a far more friendly price.”
Robert Parker

The name of this wine, Plaer, means ‘pleasure’.

You may not need more persuading than that, but this old vine Priorat is a powerful, complex wine with enticing jammy aromas and an uplifting mineral energy. Red fruit juiciness and darker, velvety depths sustain its dense flavours for simply ages.

The Priorat vines that Albert Jané uses for this wine are all between forty and sixty years old, and grow on a number of the choicest plots in the Priorat DOQ. All the vineyards are based on llicorella soil, and minimal interference in the vines and cellar gives a robust expression of this slate terroir.

The grapes are harvested by hand, with selection carried out in the vineyards and again in the cellar. The resulting wine is aged for twelve months in one year old French oak barrels.

‘Bright violet color. A zesty mineral quality gives loft and focus to sexy aromas of candied flowers and red and dark berry preserves. The juicy, incisive and gently sweet palate offers black raspberry, floral pastille and a late touch of candied licorice. Fine-grained tannins rein in the exuberant fruit on the long and energetic finish. A powerful but finessed wine.’
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous

There has been the by now nearly customary heap of awards for the 2016 vintage of Plaer:

• 93/100, Guía Peñín 2019
• 94/100, Guia Intervinos 2019
• 94.62/100, Guía Wine Up! 2019
• 9.33/10 La Guia de Vins de Catalunya 2019
• 95/100, Guía de Vinos Gourmets 2019
• 90/100, Guía Vivir el Vino 2019

A number of rare things combine to make this rare wine: the tiny quantities of fruit—hardly a pound or two per plant—that come from the seventy-plus year old Carinyena and Garnatxa vines; the challenging combination of the slate terroir and harsh extremes of climate on Priorat's steep hillsides; and the extraordinary skill and labour of winemaker Albert Jane.

The grapes are harvested by hand, with selection carried out in the vineyards and again in the cellar. The resulting wine is aged for twelve months in the best one year old, lightly toasted Allier oak barrels.

‘Inky ruby. A complex bouquet
evokes vibrant dark berry, incense and
potpourri, along with smoky minerals and
candied licorice. The concentrated, sharply
focused palate reveals bitter cherry and
cassis flavors that spread out and sweeten in
the glass. Densely packed yet lithe, with
superb finishing clarity and harmonious
tannins that fold smoothly into the wine’s
intense fruit. ’
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous

Among the many awards for this special wine are the following:

• 93/100 points Guía Peñín 2019
• 92/100 points Guía Peñín 2018
• 93/100 points Guía de Vinos Gourmets 2018
• 92/100 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate 2018