MCF Rare Wine
Gratavinum is My Kind of Priorat
Priorat is a region I don't talk about all that much.
To be honest, I'm not sure why, though.
Yes, it's easy to make a broad, backhanded comment about the style of wine that was being lauded when Priorat rose to prominence, but that's not why.
Usually, when something falls off my radar, it's just because I've been too ADD to remember to focus on it.
But my friend Joan from Pares Balta came by the other week with Jordi, the winemaker from Pares Balta's Priorat estate known as Gratavinum, and it was a good reminder of just how refined, delicious and unique these wines can be.
So let's talk about how refined, delicious and unique these wines can be.
First off, like they do at Pares Balta, Gratavinum does everything righteous way - biodynamic farming, native yeasts, low intervetion winemaking...etc., etc.
But, like always, it's what ends up in the glass that grabs my attention the most, and what's in the glass are wines of that classic, dark, mineral packed structure, so signature to the region, yes. But these wines all have a sense of finesse and transparency that really makes them stand out.
Rather than raw, ponderous power, these are balanced, nimble and food friendly wines.
The Priorat 2πr 2021 (2 Pie R, aka the formula for circumference, a nod to the 'roundness' of this cuvée) is kind of a paradigm for what a delicious, good-value Priorat should be. It's a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cabernet, and it's your textbook dark, stony, fragrant wine, with nice weight and, yes, a wonderfully round texture, that's backed up with softly prominent tannin and fantastic balancing acidity. It's flavorful and versatile and has a fantastic ratio of quality:price:crowd friendliness.
Then we have what I feel to be one of the best examples of what Priorat can produce as I've ever encountered - the Rocaforts Vi de Paratge 2019, from the famous village of Gratallops. The Rocaforts area, now officially a sub-appellation of Gratallops, is dominated by sandstone soils that impart this 100% Garnacha with such incredible lift, transparency and cruising aromatics. The dense/stony elements you expect from Grenache dominate the nuance, but it's the pretty red-tinted fruit and vibrant acidity that make this wine so delicious. Another 5-10 in the cellar, and I think we'll be dealing with a wine of sublime elegance.
Finally, the coolest wine in the lineup, the Dolç d’en Piqué 2019. They utilize the over-ripened Grenache and Carignan from very warm years and arrest the fermentation to leave some residual sugar behind to create this fabulous sweet red.
However, this is NOT a syrup-y sweet red, or even a full-on sweet red, in my opinion. In many ways, this drinks more like an Amarone than a dessert wine. It's incredibly viscous and decadent, but feels a lot drier that you'd expect, especially on the palate. Jordi and Joan even say that this isn't a wine for dessert...but better with more salty/savory dishes and especially with a cheese course.
That and a hunk of some salty blue cheese sounds about as nice a way to finish a meal as there is...
GRATAVINUM Priorat
Priorat 2πr 2021
Priorat Rocaforts Vi de Paratge Gratallops 2019
Dolç d’en Piqué 2019 375ml
You may order by calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
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