2018 Clos Bartolomé, Priorat (magnum)
A new classification of wines in Priorat has just been announced - how wine-growing regions love such things. We dont know yet where in the 5-level pyramid our favourite wine, Clos de Bartolomé, will sit, but it should be at or near the top. The small family estate only made 10,850 bottles of Bartolomé in 2018, all individually numbered - by hand!
A seriously delicious red from local garnacha and cariñena (carignan) grapes, the wine offers hints of warm spice and dried fig notes alongside black cherry, vanilla and a toasty character. Priorats high altitude situation means that warm days and cool nights aid the grapes in reaching full ripeness. On the palate the wine is bold, forceful, and richly fruited with a core of ripe, black cherry and exceptional texture. There's a wonderful lip-smacking mineral twist, adding freshness and a generous mouth-coating sweetness to the fruit. Perfect for the autumn evenings.
Priorat is a small and highly sought-after appellation, one of only two in Spain at the elite DOCa level, and we are really pleased to have this allocation of the Bartolomé-Vernet family wines.
About the producer:
For many decades, the Bartolomé Vernet family have steadfastly and lovingly farmed their “Trossos” (plots of land), and produced excellent quality fruit from garnacha and cariñena (carignan) varieties. In 1997 they were able to go one step further and started bottling their own wine rather than sell it in bulk. Since then Josep Bartolomé and his son-in-law, Antonio Rodriguez have further raised the quality of the wines at this tiny (around 10,000 bottles produced annually) estate. The combination of very old vines and the attention to detail and dedication of the family combine to produce truly impressive wines.