The ripe, oaky and heady 2013 Coster de l'Ermita was produced with old-vine Cari?ena from a vineyard in Salanques (Porrera). It will always be produced from the same vineyard and be a "vi de vila," a village wine. It has some of the earthy rusticity of the grapes, coupled with some grainy tannins. It has character and shows power, concentration and good balance provided by a combination of the character of the year and the freshness and acidity of the grape. 3,000 bottles were filled in December 2014.

The old-styled 2012 Costers de l'Ermita is produced with an approximate blend of 80% Garnacha and 20% Cari?ena from an old, head-pruned vineyard on a slope (coster) that followed the FA112, so 12 months in first-use French Allier barrels. But there's something more organic, more telluric here, perhaps an animal touch too, though the very ripe black fruit, peat, smoke, spices and some violets manage to come through. The slightly rustic palate has grainy tannins and shows the harshness of the Priorat landscape during the summer months of this dry, warm and early vintage. Here the oak is better integrated than in the FA2012, but it's still there and the fruit seems to be able to cope better. 3,500 bottles produced.

The 2011 Costers de L'Ermita is a blend of 80% Garnacha and the rest Carinena weighing in at 15% alcohol from a single vineyard planted in 1908 on slate slopes at 360 meters altitude. You can feel the concentration and balance given by the old vines and how they also compensate the warmth of the vintage keeping a better acidity. The natural concentration helps to handle the oak-aging well (one year in new French barrels), and the wine has some dusty tannins that are well-balanced. This is a big, powerful, concentrated,but balanced, Priorat. Drink 2015-2020. This is a joint venture between Pujol-Busquets from Alella and Albet i Noya from Penedes. The young daughter of Pujol-Busquets is now in charge of winemaking. Importer: Opici Wines, Glenn Rock, NJ; tel. (201) 689-1200; www.opici.com

The flagship 2006 Costers de l’Ermita comes from vines planted around the winery in 1908. A blend of 80% Garnacha and 20% Carinena aged in new Allier oak barrels for 12 months, it offers a slightly reduced bouquet of sultry black fruit, mulberry and wild heather. The palate has dense, forthright tannins that dominate the fruit profile, while the finish is showing too much oak, rendering it a little anonymous and tiring. This is a wine that I am certain would be better in a more favourable vintage. Mas Igneus was founded in 1996, a joint venture between Josep Maria Albet, Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets and the Poboleda Cooperative (which left in 2004). The winery is located at their Costers de l’Ermita estate close to Gratallops, and there is a strong organic/biodynamic philosophy throughout all their wines. Mas Igneus’s wines are highly regarded; however, whether it was because of the vintages I tasted or because some had only recently been bottled, I found them falling slightly below my expectations. In particular, I felt that a propos some of the top wines, the oak was not quite in synch with the fruit. Importer: Opici Wines , www.opiciwines.com