Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat 2018

A layered and very dense Priorat with crushed-raspberry and slate character, as well as black tea. Full body. Ripe yet tight tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Drink now or hold.

The regional red blend 2018 Camins del Priorat was produced with grapes from 101 plots from eight villages in Priorat and wants to represent the overall character of the zone. It's a blend of 35% Garnacha, 20% Cariñena, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot that fermented in a combination of stainless steel and oak vats and matured in barrique and oak vats for four to six months. It's young and fruit-driven with some herbal hints from the French grapes, which were picked early, intermixed with licorice and fennel. It's nicely textured, happy and fresh, juicy, clean and with no noticeable oak. It has a modern and clean profile. The tannins are soft and round. It's like a more concentrated version of 2016 and 2014, both cool years. Easy to drink and very pleasant. 236,000 bottles produced.

For this entry-point to the red wines of Priorat, Alvaro Palacios relies on garnacha and cariñena (70 percent of the blend), adding cabernet and syrah as well. The result is a delicious and fresh juice, so lively and crisp that it makes you want to ice down the bottle and pour it with charcuterie.

A polished texture carries black olive, tea and loamy earth flavors in this focused red, with black cherry and red plum flavors emerging on the finish. Graceful, with fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity. Drink now through 2024.

Jan 2016 - Brilliant ruby. Intense, spice-accented, ripe black and blue fruits, violets and smoky, mineral aromas build in the glass. The sweet, expansive palate reveals concentrated blueberry and boysenberry flavors that tighten up slowly on the back half. The finish clings with excellent tenacity, providing a framework for the wine's exuberant dark fruit. -- Josh Raynolds

Deep and bright on the nose, this Priorat blend is earthy and ripe. Jammy and full on the palate, this wine is muscular but balanced, showing deep black fruit and toasty oak flavors. A dark finish suggests black coffee and uncomplicated berry tones. Drink through 2017.