Priorat at a glance by Jancis Robinson...

Hi all,
it seems to me as a good and fast look to Priorat by Jancis Robinson...

http://www.jancisrobinson.com/winenews/winenews.html

Cheers,

Jose

This seems typical of Robinson on Spanish wine: her writing is clear and engaging but she never really says anything substantial, or at least nothing that is not well known.

I admit, however, that I have not seen her tasting notes, which may contribute more. I was a bit surprised to see Clos de L’Obac near the top of her list, since I thought that the ’01 showed less of its characteristic restraint. Plus, with respect to Clos Erasmus,
Lo Givot, and Clos Martinet, she seems to be in complete agreement with her recent nemesis, Robert Parker.

’Cos I don’t have access to her purple pages, so all I can read is the (for me) extremely shorts excerpts... I don’t know wether she write in depth about it in her books, articles or in the purple pages... :-?

Cheers,

Jose

From her 2001 horizontal:

Clos de L´Obac 2001 Priorat, Celler Costers del Siurana. 17.5/20. Drink 2007-20
Very deep crimson. Quite marked French oak plus extremely modern opulence on the nose. Very well handled in the winery. Real terroir character on the palate with some medicinal notes – delightfully savoury – not the over-sweet flab of some. Bravo in general with a slight cautionary note about all that French oak.

Clos Erasmus 2001 Priorat, Daphne Glorian. 18/20. Drink 2009-22
Dark crimson with some evolution at the rim already. Very strong llicorella signature even on the nose. Very fresh and appetising. Thick, dry appetising and lively. Yes! This harnesses fully ripe fruit without being all flabby and sweet. Dry end, properly mineral for the very long term.

Clos Martinet 2001 Priorat, Mas Martinet Viticultors. 17.5 Drink 2005-10
Blackish crimson. Dense. Some Cabernet? (Yes – more than third!) Very nice drink – already! Round, easy, approachable, not that much tannin underneath (a little). Good short term fun.

Clos Mogador 2001 Priorat, René Barbier. 16.5. Drink 2008-15
Blackish crimson. Full, round overripe – too much? Lots of acidity, sweetness but no real integrity to knit them together. Awkward, hot, very alcoholic – the clos Erasmus seems so much more subtle. Very awkward jagged tannins. Very furry finish.

And specially for JoanF :-):

Mas d´en Compte 2001 Priorat, Celler Cal Pla. 15/20. Drink 2007-11
Quite limpid ruby. Very strange nose – almost buckwheat. Some unconventional oak? Rather unappetising – simple ripe fruit, even a bit sweet and sickly. Where’s the llicorella? Chewy tannins are there but this isn’t my idea of noble.

Do you agree with these comments?

DO I agree?

Of these wines I have only had the 01 L’Obac, Mogador, and Erasmus, but I have not yet had them at the same time.

I thought the Clos de L’Obac showed less than usual of its characteristic restraint, but JR seems to think the restraint is still present, which perhaps is true from a relative perspective among the 01s but probably less so relative to past vintages of this wine.

My impression also was that Erasmus and Mogador were very similar, but JR seems to place them at oposite ends of the quality spectrum. The derogatory remarks about Mogador also contradict everying I have seen or heard about the wine.

I have not tried my Martinet yet but lightly structured ";good short-term fun"; seems slightly derogatory notwithstanding the other positive comments. Compare Parker, who said: ";Still young and unevolved, it needs 2-4 more years of cellaring, and should last for 15+ years."; Come to think of it, her notes seem to correspond almost precisely with my impression of the ’01 Martinet Bru, which I love but don’t expect to last very long. Also compare Robinsion on Martinet (";Very nice drink – already!";) with Parker on Martinet Bru (";it is already drinking beautifully";).

I am planning a 2001 Priorat blind horizontal and will reserve final judgement until then. So far the wines I have assembled for the tasting are:

1. Mas Doix
2. Dofi
3. Mogador
4. L’Obac
5. Erasmus
6. Martinet
7. Figueres
8. Vall Llach
9. Embruix
10. Martinet Bru
11. Font de la Figueres
12. Les Terrasses
13. Laurel

... I do not think I have tasted so many Priorats :) ... and where do you say the tasting is? ... Enjoy them all tons and then tell us!!! just yesterday I had a very superb clos Mogador 99, pure velvet, beautiful wine ... hmmmmm ... still savouring it.

cheers,

Susie

The tasting will be sometime in August probably at Taberna del Alabardero in Washington.

We conducted a similar blind horizontal tasting a few weeks ago of 2001 Bierzos:

Dominio de Tares ";P.3.";
Dominio de Tares ";Cepas Viejas";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";Corullón";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";San Martín";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";Las Lamas";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";La Faraona";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";Monçerbal";
Descendientes de José Palacios ";Bierzo";
Paixar

Testavinos and I wrote and article about it that should appear here soon. We will do the same for 2001 Riojas, Toros, and Ribera del Dueros.

... I am VERY impressed ... I’ve only tasted some 2 or 3 of those wines ... I’ll have to go to DC to really know Spanish wines }:-DD. Enjoy them all (and thanks for sharing the experience with us!) ... I had NO idea that you could get all these wines somehow easily in the States. Nite-nite, I’d better go to bed, I’m dead ...

cheers,

MaJesus