Pinord, 'Mas Blanc +7', Priorat | 2018 | 14.5% | 75cl

Tasting Note

Generous raisined plum fruit complemented by vanilla, chocolate and truffle, powerful and intense.Ripe, dense black fruits, vanilla and chocolate aromas envelope the full bodied, but elegant palate, which is rich and very silky with a long, smooth finish.

Vineyard

Priorat is a small, dynamic wine region in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain, in the hills south west of Barcelona. The vineyards are planted on terraces on steep slopes, where the vines grow in the unique slate substrate, known locally in the Catalan dialect as 'licorella'. These slate soils have excellent heat-retention properties, radiating the heat of the day onto the vines at night, encouraging the grapes to reach full maturity. The contrasting climate experiences southerly winds which temper the hot summers, while cool winds from the north also influence the vineyards, resulting in long, hot summers and cold, dry winters. As a result, the concentrated grapes have natural freshness. The vines are cultivated organically; no chemicals are used on the land. The vineyard is also farmed biodynamically, which takes into consideration the connections between all the elements of the land and takes advantage of the natural cycles, which sometimes lean towards abundance and sometimes towards scarcity. Pinord, along with the World Nature Foundation, protect and preserve bats, which are great allies in natural pest control. The grapes are harvested by hand.

Winemaking

Following a meticulous selection process, each variety was fermented separately. The grapes underwent fermentation in stainless steel vats lasting for 18 days in order to extract the aromas, flavours and the depth of colour. Maturation took place for 12 months in American and French oak barrels imparting complexity and rounding out the tannins, followed by a further 12 months' refinement in bottle.