Vi de Vila El Lloar 2017

Clos 93 was the 93rd winery to register with the Consejo Regulador de Priorat. Founded a decade ago by brothers Rubén and Josep Sabaté, along with their uncle Pepo, it remains a true family project, with wines carefully crafted in Pepo’s house and garage. Their grapes come from vines in El Lloar, where they are one of only two wineries. Now, with 108 registered wineries in Priorat, Clos 93 is no longer the newest but is officially recognised as the smallest—producing just 12,500 bottles a year. The 25- to 50-year-old vines used across their four wines are organically farmed with minimal intervention, treated only with small amounts of sulphur and copper. All grapes are hand-harvested and gently pressed, fermenting spontaneously with native yeasts. The wines are aged in large 300L French oak barrels, naturally stabilised for five weeks, and bottled without fine filtering and with minimal added sulphites. Winemaking Detail: Hand harvested in October from their oldest vines on the property (80 years old) by family members only. Maceration for approximately 30+ days before aging in used French oak for 18 months.

Hand harvested in October from their oldest vines on the property (80 years old) by family members only. Maceration for approximately 30+ days before aging in used French oak for 18 months.

Dark; ruby red colour. Deep; intense and perfumed nose of glacee black cherry; rose petals and ripe blackcurrant. Intense; very up front tannins; cooked black cherry and raspberry; red plum and a touch of aromatic spice. Black pepper follows with a Syrah power; earthy dry slatey minerality; sweetness; redcurrant; tingling acidity and spice. The finish is savoury with a touch of bitter coffee and chocolate and fine crisp tannins.

Beef stew, Rabbit stew, Venison

DOQ Priorat, is one of only two regions (along with DOCa Rioja) that sit at a quality level above the rest of Spanish wines, affording them higher prices and a much more stringent quality control. As with much of Catalunya its mainstay grape is Garnacha (both White & Black) with 3 and 4 other international varietals allowed respectively. But it is Priorat’s heat and soil that truly distinguishes it from its neighbours. Old bush vines, in poor steep rocky and black slate soil (Licorella) offer small yields of powerful concentrated fruit as the vines struggle to find water. There is an aging system but it’s barely followed, with most wines spending 12-18 month in French oak and a year or two in bottle.