Note de dégustation: Deux millésimes majestueux d’Ermita à la suite, 2009 et 2010 d’ une profondeur inouïe et d’une grande finesse pour le 2009. La couleur est presque couleur d’encre avec des reflets violacés. Nez de fruits noirs, de prunes et de graphite. La bouche en ample, dense, riche mais le mineral et l’acidité supportent bien la richesse du fruit. Les tannins font aussi un maillage précis du fruit ce qui confère au vin un surcroît de minéralité.
VIN : ÁLVARO PALACIOS ERMITA 2009 PAYS : ESPAGNE RÉGION ET SOUS-RÉGION : GRATALLOPS, PRIORAT APPELLATION : DOC PRIORAT CÉPAGES : 91% GRENACHE, 9% CARIGNAN, 1% CÉPAGES BLANCS (COMPLANTATION) ÂGE DES VIGNES : 85-105 ANS, VIGNOBLE DE 1,4 HECTARE DENSITÉ DE PLANTATION : 4600 PIEDS RENDEMENTS: 7,64 HECTOS/HA SOLS : STRATES D’ARDOISE, ÈRE PALÉOZOÏQUE, PÉRIODE CARBONIFÈRE VITICULTURE : BIOLOGIQUE PLUVIOMÉTRIE : 520 MM PAR AN IRRIGATION : NON TAILLE : GOBELET ALTITUDE : 350-430 MÈTRES LATITUDE : 41,18° NORD ET EST ORIENTATION : PRINCIPALEMENT NORD, VIGNOBLE EN FORME D’AMPHITHÉÂTRE VENDANGES : MANUELLES DU 24 AU 27 OCTOBRE LEVURES : INDIGÈNES VINIFICATION : TRADITIONNELLE. ÉGRAPPAGE. FERMENTATION EN, FOUDRES ET MACÉRATION 45 JOURS. PIGEAGE MANUEL ÉLEVAGE : 16 MOIS EN BARRIQUES FRANÇAISES NEUVES COLLAGE : NON FILTRATION : NON DEGRÉ : 14,8 % SUCRE RÉSIDUEL: < 3 G/L BOUCHAGE : BOUCHON LIÈGE TEMPÉRATURE DE SERVICE : 16-18° C PRODUCTION : NON COMMUNIQUÉE. APPROX: 1000 BOUTEILLES.
The 2009 L’Ermita has a feminine, sensual bouquet laced with pure raspberry, creme de cassis, orange blossom and lavender aromas with a touch of Seville orange marmalade. The palate is full-bodied, with a gentle but insistent grip. It is bright and lively with precise tannins, the keen thread of acidity belying the potency on the precocious finish, which fans across the mouth like a roll of thunder. There are hints of white pepper and liquorice lingering on the aftertaste of this outstanding Priorat red. Drink 2017-2030. Visiting Alvaro Palacios was a must during my trip to Priorat, the dynamo and tour de force that has propelled Priorat to the forefront of the Spanish wine scene. The modern architecture of his hilltop winery lies in stark contrast to the nearby village Gratallops, where houses huddle as if sheltering from a raincloud that will never come. Indeed, as we parked the car, the village’s P.A. system was announcing that there would be no running water for the next two hours, indicating how precious a commodity water is. People suffer as well as vines. Since his debut in 1989, Alvaro’s wines have built a formidable reputation with prices to match. Fortunately, he pays as much attention to quality at the lower end of his range: a bottle bearing his name must meet his exacting standards. I listened as Alavaro expounded the greatness of Garnacha, convinced that the identity of Priorat lies in this grape variety and Carinena, rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. A man of his word, he is therefore reducing the percentage of Cabernet in his flagship L’Ermita and it would not surprise me if it is phased out entirely in the future. Personally, I think an already great wine is greater for it. He also rhapsodized about his nascent 2010s, which he feels are not as “heavy” as his 2009s and constitute “very enchanting wines,” something I completely agree with. Most of these wines were tasted in Priorat, augmented by one or two tastings held in London. Robert Parker, the Wine Advocate: 99/100
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