The 2009 Vinyes Velles is a blend of two-thirds Carinena and one-third Garnacha. It is bestowed with a glorious, floral bouquet with very pure scents of cassis, blueberry and violets, all with pixelated delineation, almost Margaux-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins. It is taut on the entry, quite linear and then fans out nicely with sappy dark berry, cassis and allspice. This entrancing Priorat is very well-balanced, long and persistent towards the finish, with a structure that suggests it will benefit from 2-3 years in bottle. Drink 2014-2025. Ferrer Bobat’s state-of-the-art winery, perched on a rocky outcrop in the sub-zone of Porrera, resembles Blofeld’s cliff-top lair from an early sixties Bond movie. Fortunately, the aim here is make top quality Priorat wine rather than world domination, and unlike Blofeld, they might well succeed. “I try and emphasize the freshest expression of the Priorat,” winemaker Raul Bobet tells me, as I try not to be hypnotized by the stunning, rocky panorama. “This is the coolest part of Priorat where there is a lot of influence from northern winds. So here, at high altitude, the Carinena ripens much later. We try to harvest as late as possible without any over-ripeness, use new oak from French Burgundy coopers with a fine grain and a light-medium toast. The vineyard was planted in 2003 and our first vintage was 2005. We have made new plantings that are currently unused, but they will go into a third wine in the future.” These were mightily impressive wines, some of the finest that I encountered in Priorat (as were Raul’s wines from Costers del Segre – see Castell d’Encus.) Importer: Vintus Wines, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (914) 769-3000; www.vintuswine.com

This firm red shows good intensity, with focused flavors of cherry, licorice, fresh herbs and smoke mingling on the graceful palate and deepening on the long, juicy finish. Drink now through 2017. 500 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Priorat Select to Add