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Closa Batllet, Priorat

Closa Batllet is by far one of my favorite wine producers... Ever. Yes, ever. The wines, both red and white amaze me; after tasting them on a Monday, I couldn't stop thinking of them and still haven't. The balance of flavors and acidity almost haunt me, but in a good way!
The 2009 Closa Batllet Gratallops 5 Partides Vi de la Vila Priorat, made from 100% Carignan is phenomenal to say the very least. Inky dark and nearly black despite being purplish red in color, it fills a room with blackberry, red currant, coffee, black tea, and cocoa aromas. It's flavors are a harmonious mix of savory ripe fruit and lush old vine richness. One hell of a great glass of wine...
The 2010 Gratallops Artai Vi de la Vila Priorat is no slouch, either. Equally delicious as the above, but with a different taste profile that comes from a blend of 47% Garnatxa, 28% Carinena, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Syrah... And that means a big mouthful o' red wine! Juicy, laden with cassis, cedar, spicebox, cinnamon, and exotic qualities too numerous to pinpoint!
Just when we thought it was awesome, it got better! The 2009 Gantallops 5 Partides Vi de la Vila Priorat did nothing short of blow our minds. 100% Carignan from five vineyard parcels spent a nice rest for 15 months in French oak, imparting an otherworldly lush frame of sandalwood, cigarbox, and toasted vanilla aromatics to an already complex dark fruit frame that glided across the palate with the grace of a ballerina. Darn tasty stuff that reminded us of Chateaunuef du Pape, yet it was uniquely Spanish.
If that was a ten, the 2009 Torroja Roncavall Vi de la Vila Priorat turned it up past 11, with a power and finesse rarely seen anywhere.

Where the heck is that from?

Let's break it down: Vi de la Vila in the area of Grantallops, in Priorat, in the steep hillsides near Tarragona in Eastern Spain, is in Europe on the Planet Earth. Okay, now that is relatively clear we will get into some incredible wineries and their juicy offerings from the ancient vines grown in the rugged terrain there.
Grape varieties there, the ones we will focus on, include some of our faves: Carinena (carignan), Garnatxa (grenache), Syrah, Monastrell (mourvedre), and Cabernet Sauvignon, and other goodies make up the red roster. Whites can be more obscure... Garnatxa Blanc (grenache), Xarel- lo, Piquepoul (translated from French meaning "lip stinger"), Macabeo, Pedro Ximinez, Chardonnay, and among others Escanyavella (Catalan for "old lady strangler").
Still with us?
Right. So onward to explore some unbelievably mouth watering wines from Eastern Spain...

Garnatxa, Garnacha

What... Is your favorite color? White.. no, red! Aaarrrrgh!
Have no fear, our dear Grenache by any other name comes in both colors. It grows especially well in Spain in the Terra Alta region of Catalonia where many of the vines are over 100 years old, yielding smaller amounts of more intensely flavored grapes. There Nuria Altes crafts the Herencia Altes wines with gentle hands to create extremely drinkable wines that we can't resist!
The 2012 Garnatxa Blanca Terra Alta is zippy and fresh with an appley nose and yummy pear and lemon flavors. It's a steal and something to buy by the case. The others we tasted from Herencia Altes are all made from 100% Garnatxa Negra and are aged, like the whites, in concrete tanks as to not interfere with the inherent finesse of the grapes from chalk bourne old vines. The reds ooze black and red berry fruit and have just enough acidity and tannins to keep them deliciously balanced. Look for the 2012 Garnatxa Negra, 2011 Benufet (also in white), and 2010 L'estel, all from Terra Alta and all great wines. Beg your local retailer and restaurant to buy them so you can, too...

Extraordinarily Yummy

Say it reaaal slow, no sudden movements of the jaw, just let it slip out as if it were Freudian but in slo mo, and you mean it: escanya- vella. We knew you could do it...
Never heard of it? Hardly anyone has. Its safe to say it is one of our favorite white grapes nowadays...
Closa Batllet from the Priorat region in easternmost Spain is owned by Marc Ripoll, who has brought this grape back from obscurity and onto our palates. The 2011 Closa Batllet Gratallops Escanyavella Vi de la Vila Priorat is, in one word, EXTRAORDINARY.
We tasted this beauty at an Eric Solomon event and loved the subtle citrus and light floral aromatics. Supremely balanced acidity and ample structure made us wish we had more of it... Somewhere warmer than Boston in the winter! If indeed you can find this wine, buy lots if it, its awesome.

Escanya-vella: "Old Lady Strangler"

Mmmm... Tasty

Loved this incredible Chateauneuf du Pape blanc at the Eric Soloman tasting in South Boston at the Seaport Hotel...
Many white Chateauneufs can be a little flabby, without a lot of refreshing qualities, but this one is bright and superclean. Heaps and gobs of vibrant tangerine and squeaky clean minerality cleansed the palate effortlessly. Made from 100% Grenache Blanc, and barrel aged for eight months in 25% new oak this really blew our minds. A hefty $80 price tag didn't detract from the experience... If you can afford it, just do it!

We're Baaaaack...

After a few years of not posting, we have returned! Stay tuned for news and notes from our vinous and culinary experiences...

Staff Picks from Eric Soloman Tasting

WhooHoo! Bet on the White Horse...

https://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=950208

1982 Cheval Blanc, St-Emilion (Was $1199.00) SKU #950208
100 points Robert Parker: "This wine has proven to be one of Bordeaux's modern day legends. Absolutely spectacular for its first 7-8 years after bottling, the wine has gradually begun to reveal more delineation, structure, and tannin. In 1995, the wine appears even younger than it did 5-6 years ago! It exhibits a thick, opaque garnet color with light amber at the edge. The nose, which was ostentatious earlier in its life, still offers up significant amounts of roasted fruit, coffee, melted chocolate, and decadently rich, sweet black fruits. This is an exotic full-bodied, moderately tannic, massive example of Cheval Blanc noted for its sheer opulence and intensity. However, I find the wine more structured and delineated today than it was a half dozen years ago. It appears ready for a long evolution. I originally felt that the wine would be fully mature by 1993, but it now appears to require another 4-5 years to hit its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 20+ years . The only question millionaire collectors should ask about the 1982, is whether the 1990 will rival it? Both are awesome wines! Tasted 23 times since bottling with consistent notes." 96 points Wine Spectator: "Beautifully aromatic, sweet and spicy, with a lovely thread of strawberry, plum and vanilla flavors that weaves an ever-more-complex pattern through the extensive finish."

Stay Tuned for Incredible Views from Down Under

Wine views from our Senior Correspondent just back from a tour of Australia and New Zealand, with a stop in Tasmania...

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N/V Schramsberg Sparkling Wine Brut Blanc de Blanc and Blanc de Noirs Napa, California
Champers, shampoo, bubbly, stars, whatever you want to call California Sparkling wine, go ahead, but never ever call it champagne ‘cause it ain’t and never will be. It’s from California, it’s wine, and it has bubbles, right? It’s like this: French stuff is from France and cannot be reproduced exactly the same way here in the states. METHODS can be used, but when your grapes are firmly rooted in Napa, California, your wine will be Californian no matter what name you put on it. Champagne is from just northeast of Paris in France in the region of the same name: Champagne. Blanc de Blanc, means white wine from white grapes, usually chard, blanc de noirs means white wine from dark grapes, usually Pinot Noir. Since the pulp of most grapes is clear this should be an easy concept to grasp if you remember that the color in wine comes from the skins. No skins, no problem. Gently pressed juice shouldn’t have much, if any, color. Now remember that good things come from California, and excellent SPARKLING WINE is made there. The Davies family have it down. They aren’t trying to duplicate the French, they have found the heart and soul of California Sparkling Wine by employing French methods and using California grapes and relying on the California sun. Help our economy and toast American!

2007 Marquis Phillips Grenache Southeastern Australia
Xmas in a glass! They’ve mastered Syrah, but with winemaker Chris Ringland on board Grenache is King. There is something about Ringland and his deft hand with this red grape that hails from Chateauneuf du Pape and eastern Spain. The deep dark cherry core is indicative of the Grenache varietal, but with careful selection in the vineyard and a gentle touch in the winery, Ringland nails down the gingerbread, cinnamon, clove, allspice, and truffle aromas that can be coaxed out of this complex grape. Throw in the Southeastern Australian climate and one juicy, yet graceful behemoth is born. Catch it if you can!

2007 Hugh Hamilton Verdelho "The Trickster" Mclarenvale, Australia

The Black Sheep wines as they are called occasionally, include this vinous application of the PITA grape known as Verdelho. It's origins are from Madeira, Portugal where it's almost unforgivable acidity makes it a great candidate for fortification and long term ageability- the backbone for some Madeira's longevity. Not so Down Under! In Australia, this Verdelho can get wild on you with overly tropical mango and lychee flavors if the grower is not careful, for the acidity all but disappears when it begins to over- ripen. This little grape needs to be handled and harvested for ACID not SUGAR... get it? Indeed, this is oyster, scallop, shrimp, sharp cheese, salted nut, cut through the olive oil kind of white wine here. Racy? Snappy? This wine has the acidity to make a person drool and coo with pleasure. Think about verdant or citrusy things like lime, tarragon, chervil, meyer lemon, kiwi granita, orange, and white cranberries! More fun and refreshing than some New Zealand Sauv Blancs... 'nuff said.

Endless Summers

2006 Summers Winery Estate Charbono Napa Valley, California

Charbono was originally thought to be the Italian grape Barbera by Italian immigrants arriving in California during the late 1800’s, but as it turns out it is actually French in origin. Charbono as a wine is exclusively produced in California, and Summers winery is by far the champion of this rarity. Inky purple in color, and jam packed with a lush berry– cherry quality that remains vibrant on the palate. A difficult wine to procure outside of California, unless of course you are reading this and are familiar with our “taste it, gotta have it” take on excellent, hard to find wines! This wine is sourced from the only 80 acres of Charbono that are grown in California. The estate vines that Summers uses are located in the northern Napa town of Calistoga, 40 acres of very old vines are located. The land up in Calistoga is spotted with hot springs and rugged hillsides, which make prime growing conditions for grapevines. It really shows through in the wine, because the more rustic the growing conditions, the more delicate and concentrated the wine can be. If you love graceful wines, and are waiting to find the perfect Cal– Italian type of wine, this is most definitely it. The top pick for the Holiday feasting is Summers Charbono!

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