Region:  Priorat, Spain

Varietal:  70% Carignane, 30 % Grenache

Tasting notes:  A total show-stopper, this wine has aged beautifully into something a bit other-worldly. A rich, dense core of macerated blackberries coats the palate while the now fully integrated oak adds a gorgeous layer of vanilla and spice. This is like blackberry cobbler with French vanilla ice cream in liquid form. Absolutely heavenly! There is enough minerality to keep the richness in balance and the acidity brings you back for another sip. A fabulous wine!

Producer:  Ferrer Bobet is about respect. Firstly, the mutual respect of two friends, Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet and their passion for the world and culture of wine. Secondly, the respect for the long traditions of viticulture and vinification in Priorat and a commitment to the economic and social development of the region. Thirdly, and above all, the respect for the terroir and a dedication to producing wines that reflect the distinctive mineral essence from the land. Sergi and Raül’s project started in 2002, and in 2008 their first two wines were released. For their initial wines, Ferrer Bobet used hundred-year-old Carignane and Grenache vines planted in some of the best vineyards in Priorat. These vineyards have an exceptional slate soil, locally known as “llicorella,” and a topography characterized by steep slopes and high elevations that guarantee optimal ripening and ideal night/day temperature fluctuations, fundamental for preserving flavors and acidity.

Vineyard and Winemaking:  The estate is located between Porrera and Falset, and possesses various characteristics that give it great potential, and which were pivotal in choosing this sub-zone. Indeed, their soils have an unusually high proportion of llicorella, a quality only seen in the top vineyards in the Priorat, and the site is in one of the coolest, steepest and highest elevations of the appellation, factors which contribute to optimal phenolic ripeness and help preserve flavors and acidity. Likewise, the site’s varied aspects create a rich diversity of mesoclimates and bring the opportunity to create wines of particular complexity and depth. This vineyard is managed, moreover, in a way fundamental to the philosophy of Ferrer Bobet: the development of a strict organic viticulture which completely excludes the use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Fermentation takes place in 15 and 30 Hl wooden and stainless steel tanks, with malolactic fermentation and aging in fine-grained, lightly toasted new French oak barrels for 16 months. Bottling is unfined and unfiltered, and the wine is bottle aged for a minimum of 11 months.