2022 Merum Priorati Inici

As the name suggests, MERUM Priorati hails from the famous yet inhospitable Priorat. The winery is one of the innovators in this rather conventional, traditional region. Merum belongs to the Pere Ventura family , best known for their beautiful Cavas. The Merum Priorati logo features two ancient symbols for the earth and the sky. And these are precisely the most important factors a winemaker encounters when producing wine in the rugged Priorat. The soil here, for starters, consists of schist and slate. It's easy to compare it to other top regions like the Mosel or the Douro Valley. The landscape is also hilly. The solution is terraced vineyards with very low yields and a high level of manual labor.

Merum Inici is a blend of the common Priorat grapes: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Grenache. The grapes are harvested manually in 20-kilogram crates, ensuring they arrive uncrushed at the winery. The yield is low, around 30 hectoliters per hectare. After the grapes are destemmed, they undergo temperature-controlled fermentation and maceration in stainless steel tanks for approximately three weeks. This is followed by a second malolactic fermentation (where the harder malic acid is converted into a softer lactic acid) in 225-liter French oak barrels. After aging for 8 to 12 months in these 2- and 3-year-old barrels, bottling takes place without fining or filtration. (This ensures that all the components contribute to the wine's complexity.) Some sediment may develop over time.

The Merum Inici has a brilliant, bright cherry red color. The nose offers abundant red fruit notes such as raspberry, blackcurrant, and a hint of anise alongside subtle spicy notes from the oak aging. Fresh on the attack, well-structured, and balanced between fruit and spice. Fine and elegant tannins and a juicy, lingering finish.

FACT: Merum Priorato has made it into the top 10 in Wine Spectator's annual review. Merum Priorato's Desti is ranked fifth in the top 100 of the very best wines.