Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses 2020

Dark cherries, plums and racy berries, followed by tangy Mediterranean herbs, minerals and roasted spices. A medium-bodied Priorat with a good crunch of strawberries and roasted herbs. Flavorful, yet juicy and precise, with silky tannins and a linear, expressive berry finish. Lots of energy here. You want to drink this now, even though it will hold well for the next 5-8 years. Drink or hold.

The regional 2019 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes was produced with a blend of grapes from 80 plots in eight villages from Priorat, 82% Garnacha with 17% Cariñena and 1% white grapes, a year unusually high in Garnacha and unusually low in Cariñena that suffered a lot from the heat. The destemmed and lightly crushed grapes fermented in concrete and oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in French oak barrels for 12 months. What happened here is that Cariñena was burned by a heat spike of 43 degrees Celsius on the 28th of June, and there was a wildfire in Montsant that perhaps could have warmed things up even more. I think there might be a change toward more Garnacha and elegance in the wines from Álvaro Palacios in Priorat, as this is brighter and less rustic than this wine used to be, more polished, perfumed and fine. The year of heat and drought.

A juicy red, offering raspberry ganache and red licorice flavors, a fragrant skein of dried sage and milled white pepper and rich hints of smoke and toast. This concentrated, medium- to full-bodied version remains fresh and focused, thanks to the tang of orange peel acidity and fine, taut tannins. Garnacha and Samsó.

A grippy style with a floral, dusty nose, grippy tannins and pronounced coffee and cocoa flavours. One for food (and your busy decanter). Blend: 82% Garnacha, 17% Cariñena, 1% Garnacha Blanca.

Palacios blends Les Terrasses from garnacha and cariñena grown in different areas of Priorat, presenting an overarching vision of the region’s wines. And that vision in 2015 is rich in herbal notes, tension and freshness, speaking clearly of the new style of Priorat reds. However, behind these bright, crystalline flavors, there are notes of spice and riper fruit flavors that give the wine a delicious depth.

Brilliant ruby. A complex bouquet evokes raspberry and blackberry preserves, Indian spices, potpourri and smoky minerals. Deep, seamless and powerful, with lively fresh black raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors, and a candied violet note that builds with air. The gently tannic finish shows excellent length and clarity.