2021 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes Priorat

35.50 29.34
Type of Wine Red
Country Spain
Region Catalunya
Appellation Priorat (Appellation)
Winery Alvaro Palacios
Year 2021
Grape Cabernet Sauvignon Carignan Garnacha Syrah-Shiraz
Content (Alc) 0.75 ltr (14.5%)
Drink window 2023 - 2032
View all characteristics Discover more about this wine

The Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes was produced with a blend of grapes from 80 plots in eight villages of Priorat, 82% Garnacha with 17% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (NOTE: 60 - to 90 year old vines) actively pruned so that there only 10 hectoliters per hectare are harvested. Aged in 20% new oak and multi-year old barrels. The wine has a well-defined, luscious bouquet of crème de cassis, blueberries and violets that smell from the glass. The taste is full-bodied with a burst of ripe blackberries, spicebox, white pepper and a hint of fennel. Subtle and Vol. It offers great purity in the finish. 94/100 Parker

Alvaro Palacios is barely 40 when he seems to have accomplished everything. Descended from a family of winegrowers who own the Bodegas Palacios Ramondo - he learned the trade in his early twenties with Christian Moueix in the castles of Petrus and Trotanoy. He then followed the Catalan René Barbier in Priorato. Strongly impressed by old soils and their quality potential, he decides to develop his own vineyard in this godforsaken hole, 135 km southwest of Barcelona. In Palacios' own words, the general belief is that "yields are too low, the land is unworkable and requires a lot of manual labour" and that the chances of profitability are small. The sequel shows that the skeptics were wrong.

The first millésime, namely the Ermita 1993, was immediately mentioned in the club of the "superstars" of Spanish wines. This cuvée, composed of 80 to 90% Grenache Vieilles Vignes balanced by Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan Vieiles Vignes, has provoked exceptional reactions in Spain but also in the rest of the world. Dominating the village of Gratallops from the top of the hill, Alvaro Palacios' state-of-the-art company is testament to his decisive influence and permanent efforts to revolutionize the Spanish wine industry.

Alvaro Palacios, the architect of the success of the Ermita, summarizes with conviction: "The philosophy behind the vinification means that one can express the character of the terroir with the greatest transparency and the greatest purity" A unique system of alignment of the tendrils , tapered in height, allows to work this steep terraced vineyard with the help of mules. The grapes are picked by hand. The maceration lasts 25 days and the fermentation takes place in casks with "reassembly" * Since 1999, fermentation has taken place in wooden barrels. The clarification is done by egg white without filtration. The wine then matures for 16 to 18 months in new French oak barrels.

* "reassembly is pumping the fermenting juice back up, on top of the solid mass (Chapeau de Marc), this in order to obtain a better extraction, among other things."

Vineyard for 2021 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes Priorat

In the late eighties, Alvaro met René Barbier, one of the rediscoverers and 'godfathers' of the Priorat. This tipped him to take a look at the forgotten wine region. Alvaro found vineyards here with very old vines. He knew immediately that he had discovered the area to be able to make absolute top wines. In 1989 he bought his first Priorat vineyard 'Finca Dofi' and in 1993 L'Ermita, a vineyard that is now considered one of the very best of the entire Priorat and is named after the chapel at the top of the vineyard.

With wines such as Finca Dofi and the now legendary L'Ermita he gained world fame and put the Priorat on the map as a wine region. All vineyards are processed on the basis of biological and / or dynamic principles to obtain the highest possible quality grapes and wine with the most natural character. Alvaro Palacios is barely 40 when he seems to have accomplished everything. Coming from a family of winegrowers - owners of the Bodegas Palacios Ramondo - as a young man in his twenties he learned the trade with Christian Moueix in the castles of Petrus and Trotanoy. Then he followed the catalan René Barbier in Priorato. Deeply impressed by ancient land and their qualitative potential, he decides to mine his own vineyard in this God-forsaken hole, 135 km south-west of Barcelona. According to Palacios' own words, the general belief is that "the yield is too low, the land is unworkable and requires a lot of manual labor" and that the chance of profitability is small. The sequel shows that the skeptics were wrong. The first millésime, namely the Ermita 1993, was immediately mentioned in the "superstars" club of Spanish wines. This cuvée, consisting of 80 to 90% Grenache Vieilles Vignes balanced by Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan Vieiles Vignes, has provoked exceptional reactions in Spain but also in the rest of the world. The ultra-modern company of Alvaro Palacios, dominating the village of Gratallops from the top of the hill, testifies to its decisive influence and ongoing efforts to revolutionize the Spanish wine industry. Alvaro Palacios, the architect of the success of the Ermita, summarizes with conviction: "The philosophy behind the vinification involves expressing the character of the terroir with the greatest transparency and purity."

The authoritative British wine magazine Decanter has named Alvaro Palacios Winemaker of the Year 2015. He is honored for his efforts to put Spain on the map in general and the regions of Bierzo and Priorat in particular worldwide. Palacios has illustrious predecessors. Last year, the brothers Perrin won from Chateau de Beaucastel, for which the honor went to Angelo Gaja, Robert Mondavi and the late Serge Hochar.

At Grandcruwijnen.nl you will find an extensive selection of the wines of Alvaro Palacios such as his absolute cult wine the L'Ermita and the Dofi, but we can certainly also recommend the wines that are a lot friendlier in price such as the Álvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat. Click here for an overview of the wines of Alvaro Palacios

More Information
Type of Wine Red
Country Spain
Region Catalunya
Appellation Priorat (Appellation)
Winery Alvaro Palacios
Grape Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Garnacha, Syrah-Shiraz
Biological certified No
Natural wine No
Vegan No
Year 2021
Drinking as of 2023
Drinking till 2032
Alcohol % 14.5
Alcohol free/low No
Content 0.75 ltr
Oak aging Yes
Sparkling No
Dessert wine No
Closure Cork
Parker rating 96
James Suckling rating 93
Tasting Profiles Earthy, Rustic, Complex, Dark fruit, Dry, Aged on wood, Powerful, Spicy, Tannines, Full
Drink moments Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard
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