Bottler: Familia Nin Ortiz, Polígon 6 Parcel-la 288, 43730 Falset-Tarragona / Spain
In the glass
Colour
Dark, almost black purple.
Nose
Ripe plums, blackberries, blackcurrants and black cherries, accompanied by bay leaf, cinnamon, pepper, clove and allspice; behind them a stony coolness, fine smoke and the damp slate note of the Llicorella soil.
Palate
Opulent dark fruit with lingonberries and sloes, violet and charcoal; powerful yet ripe tannins, vibrant acidity and a stunningly mineral depth with great length.
Character
Concentrated and powerful, yet cool, light-footed and in perfect balance – a Priorat of freshness, finesse and inner calm that deserves more time in the decanter or the cellar.
Pairing
Herb- and garlic-roasted leg of lamb with roasted peppers, saffron rice with rabbit and Piment d'Espelette, or a salad of grilled seafood with radicchio and black olives.
Notes
Comes from a single vineyard site situated at around 650 metres, with 80- to 110-year-old vines on pure iron schist; farmed biodynamically with mules, spontaneously fermented and aged for 16 months in a large wooden cask – here in the magnum bottle.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Dark, almost black purple – dense and concentrated in the glass, just as one would expect from a great vineyard site in the Priorat.
Nose
Damp black slate, layered with ripe plums, blackberries, blackcurrants and black cherries, alongside bay leaf, cinnamon, pepper, clove and allspice. With a little air, a stony coolness, a hint of smoke and impressive depth join in. Despite all its dark power, the 2018 smells noticeably fresh.
Palate
Pure hedonism, yet never opulent: blackberries, black cherries, damsons and cassis meet lingonberries, a touch of sloe, charcoal, violet and hoisin sauce. The tannin is mighty yet ripe; the fruit sweetness stands in precise balance to the acidity, carried by a breathtakingly vibrant minerality. A wine of overwhelming depth and power that simultaneously radiates inner calm.
Finish
Long, cool and light-footed despite all its concentration – the llicorella minerality continues to resonate on the palate. Still extremely young; a few hours in the decanter or, better still, several years of bottle age will do it good.
Terroir & origin
The Mas d’en Caçador lies completely secluded on the border between Porrera and Gratallops at around 650 metres altitude – one of the highest vineyard sites in the Priorat. On these three hectares grow 80- to 110-year-old, low-trained vines on terraces of pure llicorella iron slate. The steep slope permits no machinery: the vineyard is worked with mules – a method nobody had practised in Porrera since the 1960s.
Grape varieties & vinification
Grenache (Garnatxa, partly Garnatxa Pelluda) and Carignan (Cariñena), hand-harvested, spontaneously fermented and aged for 16 months in a 2,700-litre wooden cask. Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz – both committed to the second generation of the new Priorat – took over this vineyard in 2004; they have been vinifying together since 2008 and are members of La Renaissance des Appellations.
Food pairings
Oven-roasted leg of lamb, studded with herbs and garlic, served with roasted peppers; saffron rice with rabbit and Piment d’Espelette; surprisingly harmonious also with a salad of grilled seafood with radicchio and black olives.
Special features
A Grand Cru of the Priorat in generous magnum format – the ideal bottle to give this still young wine the years it deserves. “Biodynamic since day one” is printed on every cork.
