2016 Rene Barbier-Sara Perez Gratallops Partida Bellvisos, Priorat DOCa, Spain
2016 Rene Barbier-Sara Perez Gratallops Partida Bellvisos, Priorat DOCa, Spain

2016 Rene Barbier-Sara Perez Gratallops Partida Bellvisos, Priorat DOCa, Spain

$75.00

They keep some of the wines to be released much later, like the 2016 Gratallops Vi de Vila Partida Bellvisos; meanwhile, many are already selling their 2020s. 2016 was a superb vintage in the region, a year of concentration with freshness. This comes from a zone that is more protected from the sun, from a place close to Torroja. This is still tight and young, fermented with 30% to 40% full clusters and matured in an 1,800-liter oak foudre. This is very serious, a little austere, with the stony minerality from the slate soils, tightly coiled, powerful with 15.5% alcohol but gobsmacking balance and freshness. It feels light on its feet, elegant and fine, with very clean and focused flavors and very fine tannins. This is outstanding. If you think this is released after a long time, you have to realize they do a lot of magnums and they are going to release them 20 years after the vintage; they have not yet released the magnums of 2004. 

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