Alvaro Palacios

[bills]

Notes from a tasting of wines from Alvaro Palacios, in Vancouver for a visit.

2001 Herencia Remondo La Montesa Crianza – in a market where crianzas are usually priced in the $18-24 Can. range, this one comes in at $27 – but it is still excellent value, IMO. Spiced cherry nose makes your mouth water, and the medium bodied wine with good concentration doesn’t disappoint. Nice length. Will hold, but would be hard to resist.

2001 Palacios Remondo Rioja Propiedad – a bit warmer nose, very expressive, with cassis. Silky smooth in the mouth, good flavour and length. At $43 priced very high. 100% new barriques, 80% French, 20% American

2003 Descendientes Palacios Petalos Bierzo – made from the Menzia grape. Black cherry nose, very good concentration in the mouth, good acidity, not much tannin. Drinks well now. $29 C.

2001 Descendientes Palacios Corullon Bierzo – they get about ½ kg of grapes per vine and have to work the vineyard with horses, hence the weighty $70 price tag. A more floral nose and the oak takes a more prominent position. Smooth with a slightly acidic edge at the end.

On to Priorat:

2002 Les Terrasses – the nose on this one was pretty closed, with an odd solvent thing happening and some tar, with some heat. It was full flavoured but tailed a bit at the end – a rainy harvest apparently diluted the crop. $45

2001 Finca Dofi – a much better nose with more and riper fruit (raspberry), and more concentration on palate. His modern wine (compared to old high alcohol brutes from Priorat), and it showed a long harmonious finish. $111.00

2002 L’Ermita – top dog from this kennel, at C.$ 597.00! Absolutely delicious nose with vanilla (French oak only here as he said he doesn’t want the additional sweetness of American oak in this almost 100% Grenache wine) and a hint of smoke and violets. Clean wine with well defined fruit, exceptional length (I swear it was at least 2 minutes) and slightly assertive terminal acidity. Lovely, but I’m afraid my cellar will have to live without it.