Wine Spectator:  Rated as Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style. "This red is light and crisp, yet has plenty of structure to power its raspberry, licorice and mountain herb flavors. Focused and lively, with a floral, spicy finish. Drink now through 2013." Apr 2010

Winery:  "A cherry red wine, with purple reflections and an aroma of black fruits with roasted notes. Concentrated and with sweet notes that are reminiscent of cacao. Has a long, well-balanced after-taste.  A rugged region with sharp relief, in which the grapes are grown on terraces and on the mountain sides or “costers”. The earth is the distinctive element of this region, and is stony and poor with a volcanic constitution, formed by thin layers of slate or “llicorella”, that retain little water, giving the wines produced in this region a marked mineral character. "

Wired For Wine:  Named for the priory of a 12th century order of Carthasian monks, Priorat's vineyards are necessarily on terraces due to the tightly-folded mountainous terrain of the region.  Mechanism is virtually impossible because of the lay of the land, so the wines are hand-crafted.  The solid structure and lively personality of the Llicorella Priorat allow it to pair with a great variety of foods.  Lamb and meat as well as duck, game and robust fish will all do well.  Sample your first glass with a nutty Manchego cheese from Spain; it will really bring out the mountain herbs of this Priorat.  The hint of fruit in this focused red will be delicious with crisp-skinned rotisserie duck served with a sweet-tart cherry chutney.  A pan of paella made with fideo noodles instead of rice will bring out the more earthy, spicy side of this Llicorella.  We like ours with sausage, chicken and/or duck.  If you want something simple, grill up some lamb sausages and serve them with oven-roasted garlic potatoes.  Voy a tener dos!   Pour another generous glass and savor it with a rich, full-flavored Spanish Zamorano cheese.  Its texture melts in your mouth and is the perfect ending to what will no doubt be a great meal.  Disfrutar!

Size: 750ml
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha, Mazuela, Merlot, Tempranillo
Region:   Priorat, Catalonia, Spain