The 2009 Clos de l’Obac is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Garnacha, and 10% each of Syrah, Carinena and Merlot. It has a well-defined, very sensual bouquet of blackberry, tobacco, sandalwood and a touch of Provencal herbs and lavender that unfurl nicely in the glass. The palate is full-bodied with firm grip on the entry, a Bordeaux-like structure with a noticeable tannic backbone. Notes of tarry black fruits, spice and liquorice vie for attention and lacquer the mouth, lending this a very masculine veneer. It is well-defined towards the saline finish, which is still a little broody and chewy, even though my sample was decanted over two hours prior to my arrival. Drink 2015-2025. Carles Pastrana was one of the pioneers of Priorat’s renaissance in the 1980s, when viticulture hung by a 700-hectare thread. Alongside Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier, Pastrana bottled his first vintage in 1989. His aim is to express the terroir in accordance with the vintage, to reflect its vagaries by always using the same blend of grape varieties year after year, while all his wines are unfiltered. The flagship Clos de l’Obac is one of Priorat’s longest serving wines although I somehow felt that the Bordeaux grape varieties did not quite “gel” with the Rhone. Importer: Vinea Imports, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 313-4994; Mono Verde Imports; www.monoverdeimports.com; and Obac Imports; no telephone number available.