In our effort to keep trying new wines, we picked up this Priorat a couple of weeks ago at the Wine Cellar. The 2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Reserva comes for the Priorat DOQ in Southern Spain in the province of Catalonia. Wines from Priorat can include the Garnacha, Carinena (Carignan), Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Pedro Ximinez grapes as well as others but primarily focus on the 1st two mentioned here. The soils of Priorat consist of black slate and mica that come from the volcanic activity that was once part of the area. This type of soil reflects the sunlight and stores heat forcing the roots of the vines to dive deep for their nutrients and moisture.
The 2001 Rotllan Torra Reserva is made from 50% Garnacha, 25% Carignan, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine which came from 30 – 40 year old vines, was aged for 24 months in oak barrels before being put in the bottle.
My Tasting Notes –
Color – Dark Purple
Nose – Grape must, raw mushroom, cassis
Taste – Raisin, blackberry, mint, prune
Mouthfeel – polished up front with great leathery tannins towards the finish
Finish – Long length with a lot of fruit flavor hanging around
As odd as it may sound, this wine reminded me of Zinfandels that I have had from the Dry Creek Valley area. I am not sure if this is typical of wines from Priorat, but regardless it was quite a nice wine. At $19, I would definitely buy it again and would recommend it to others. One surprising thing was the color, I was amazed to see the dark purple color of a 2001 wine that spent 2 years in oak. My interest for Priorat wines is definitely peaked and I can’t wait to try some more.
Cheers!
Anything Wine 
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