At the table with Vinya del Vuit 2016
Slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with rosemary, wild boar stew, grilled rib of beef, beef cheek in red wine, aged sheep's milk tomme.
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Vinya del Vuit 2016Vinya del Vuit
The Vinya del Vuit cuvée comes from Gratallops, at the heart of the DOQ Priorat in Spanish Catalonia. Its plots lie in a steep landscape of slopes and terraces, marked by llicorella soils, a dark, crumbly slate emblematic of the appellation. The vineyard enjoys a Mediterranean climate with continental influences, with hot days, cooler nights and low rainfall. The vines, planted on demanding slopes, draw deeply from the rocky subsoil. This origin gives the wine a concentrated, fresh and distinctly mineral expression, true to the singular character of Priorat.
The grapes are harvested by hand, then fermented in open 500-litre French oak barrels. The wine is then aged for 18 months in 300-litre French oak barrels.
This wine reveals notes of black cherry, blackberry and ripe plum, complemented by hints of violet, garrigue and Mediterranean herbs. Ageing brings touches of cedar, cocoa, black pepper and smoke, while a backbone of graphite and slate underlines its origin. The palate is broad and dense, with a velvety texture, ripe yet structuring tannins and acidity that keeps it lively. The long, saline finish extends the accents of black fruit and spice.
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 Vinya del Vuit 2016
At what temperature should Vinya del Vuit 2016 be served?
Between 15 and 17 °C.
How long can Vinya del Vuit 2016 be kept?
Ageing potential: 10 years or more. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Vinya del Vuit 2016?
Grapes: 50% Cariñena, 50% Garnacha. Origin: Priorat, Spain. Alcohol: 15%.
What to serve with Vinya del Vuit 2016?
Vinya del Vuit 2016 pairs well with lamb, beef, hard cheese and game. Our dish ideas are in the food pairing box at the top of the page.