Priorat is a rare wine, but a white wine from the region is much rarer still. Sourced from a terraced vineyard at the northernmost point of Priorat, a spot that is dwarfed by the Monstant mountain range. It’s one of the most beautiful vineyards I have seen.
This vineyard is small –only about 4.50 acres– and a tiny fraction of which is planted to Grenache Blanc (the white variant of Grenache). The vines are 100 years old and planted in classic licorella soil that is unique to the region.
This is an intellectual wine: more like reading Chaucer than simply drinking wine. In some ways, that is awesome, but not always: You really have to be in a poetic frame of mind to enjoy this wine to the fullest.
On the nose, it starts with a perfume of rust and sea smoke. Honey and cashew notes come forward, then chicory and violets. Flavors range from licorice to brine to cantaloupe. The finish moves back toward mineral and floral flavors. Medium-bodied and totally geeked out.