At the table with Negre de Negres 2021
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with herbs, braised beef cheek, duck breast with cherries, wild boar civet, aged Manchego.
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Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Negre de Negres 2021Portal del Priorat
The grapes for this cuvée come from the Priorat, in Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain. The Portal del Priorat estate farms plots around El Molar and Poboleda, in the heart of the Priorat qualified designation of origin. This steep landscape, shaped by abrupt slopes and a Mediterranean climate of marked contrasts, rests mainly on llicorella soils, a layered slate characteristic of the region. These poor, free-draining soils force the vine to root deeply, encouraging low yields and concentrated grapes that carry the mineral, sun-drenched personality of the Priorat.
The grapes are harvested by hand and carefully selected. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, then the wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.
This wine reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry and ripe plum, complemented by hints of violet, garrigue and black pepper. The ageing brings touches of cocoa, vanilla and toasted wood, while a thread of warm stone and liquorice recalls the slate soils of the Priorat. The palate is broad and velvety, supported by fresh acidity and ripe tannins. The long, structured finish keeps a fruity, spicy and mineral expression.
Where are we traveling?
PrioratSpain
It lies in the hinterland of Tarragona, in Catalonia, about a hundred kilometres south-west of Barcelona, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of steep hills and deep valleys. The vineyards unfold on dizzying slopes, sometimes steeper than 45 degrees, between 100 and 700 metres above sea level, in a spectacular landscape of narrow terraces clinging to the mountain. Its winemaking history dates back to the 12th century, when Carthusian monks founded the priory of Scala Dei and planted the first vines, giving the region its name. After centuries of prosperity, phylloxera and rural exodus emptied Priorat of its winegrowers, until a handful of visionary pioneers — René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian and a few others — rediscovered in the 1990s the extraordinary potential of its unique llicorella soils, a shiny black slate-like schist that forces the roots to plunge deep and gives the wines an intense, dark minerality. The climate is continental Mediterranean, hot and dry, tempered by the Catalan mistral — the cerç — which sweeps through the vines, and by the night-time coolness brought by altitude, giving the grapes slow ripening and remarkable balance. Priorat is one of only two Spanish appellations to hold DOCa status, on a par with Rioja, and has made its name with monumental, deep reds from Garnacha and Cariñena, often from century-old vines with tiny yields, complemented by ambitious cuvées including Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and a handful of rare, mineral whites from Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu, testament to an extreme terroir that produces some of the most intense and moving wines in the entire Mediterranean.
The little history of the country
Spain
The history of wine in Spain is so old that no one really knows who brought the first vines to the region. When the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was well established and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a wine miracle. After years on the sidelines of the fine wine world, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often very high in alcohol) and spicy reds that are ever more popular with international consumers. Proud to have more land under vine than any other country, Spain is only just beginning to capitalise on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is an anarchic tangle of regions and sub-regions, just as its landscape is an anarchic tangle of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity between Spain's many wine regions, from the green, rain-soaked vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the sun-baked vineyards of the Mediterranean south-east. Spain's saving grace, as far as viticulture is concerned, is the average altitude of its vineyards, over 600 metres. Many Spanish vineyards therefore manage to produce grapes with good colour and acidity simply because night-time temperatures are relatively low and the grapes do not ripen until the end of a sufficiently long growing season. But there is real treasure to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all kinds of ambitious investors have done their bit to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun crafting spectacular wines and experimenting with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable until very recently. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.
All about Negre de Negres 2021
At what temperature should Negre de Negres 2021 be served?
Between 15 and 17 °C.
How long can Negre de Negres 2021 be kept?
Ageing potential: 5 to 10 years, until around 2031. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Negre de Negres 2021?
Grapes: 50% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena, 20% Syrah. Origin: Priorat, Spain. Alcohol: 14.5%.
What to serve with Negre de Negres 2021?
Negre de Negres 2021 pairs well with lamb, beef, hard cheese and game. Our dish ideas are in the food pairing box at the top of the page.