The Rare Wine Co. - Alvaro Palacios

If anyone embodies the promise and spirit of “The New Spain,” it is 43-year-old Alvaro Palacios. His L’Ermita is widely considered— along with Peter Sisseck’s Dominio de Pingus— to be the most important Spanish wine in a generation.

One of nine children born to the owners of Rioja’s respected Palacios Remondo, Alvaro studied enology in Bordeaux, while working under Jean-Pierre Moueix at Ch. Pétrus. He credits his tenure at Pétrus for much of his winemaking philosophy and for showing him “the importance of great wines.”

Alvaro could have returned to the security of his family’s domaine. Instead, he was drawn to remote and wildly beautiful Priorat, 60 miles from Barcelona, which had been one of Spain’s important pre-Phylloxera wine regions. With its unique terroir of steep hills and terraces Alvaro believed that here he could make a wine that was like a cross between Pétrus and Grange.

He acquired his first vineyard, Finca Dofí, in 1990. Then, in 1993, he located what is now regarded as the crown jewel property in Priorat, a precipitous, northeast-facing Garnacha vineyard on well-drained schist that had been planted between 1900 and 1940. Alvaro named it for a small chapel, or hermitage, that sits atop the hill.

In 1995, the flow of critical praise for Alvaro’s L’Ermita began, and it hasn’t stopped. But while L’Ermita has received most of the attention, Alvaro produces two other wines compelling in their own rights: Finca Dofí and Les Terrasses.

Finca Dofí. Finca Dofí is a blend of Garnacha, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Cariñena. Like L’Ermita, Dofí combines power and richness with great breeding and finesse. In most Priorat tastings that do not include L’Ermita, Dofí is the clear winner.

Les Terrases. Due to its extraordinary quality and attractive price, Les Terrasses has acquired a passionate following all its own. Alvaro relies on some of Priorat’s finest small growers to produce this wine; to get the best fruit from the steepest and oldest vineyards, he has been known to offer them three times the going rate. Les Terrasses consists of approximately 30% Garnacha, 60% Cariñena, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

L’Ermita

2003 —“...tremendous structure, great definition and purity... 94-97 rating” Robert Parker

2001 —“...a remarkably well-balanced wine of great intensity... 96+ rating” Robert Parker

2000 —“... an almost medicinal suggestion of sheer concentration... 95-98 rating” Steve Tanzer

1998 —“... explodes on the mid-palate and in the finish... 97 rating” Robert Parker

1996 —“It is super-intense, but exceptionally well-balanced... 95 rating” Robert Parker

1995 —“Deep, powerful and rich... 96 rating” Robert Parker

1994 —“A modern-day legend... 97+ rating” Robert Parker

Finca Dofí

2003 —“Super-expressive, rich, and full-bodied, with wonderfully integrated acidity, tannin, and wood...” 92-94 rating” Robert Parker

2001 —“... intense, opulent, full-bodied, seamless...” 93 rating” Robert Parker

2000 —“Thick, dense and suave, with vibrant flavors... 92-95 rating” Steve Tanzer

1998 —“terrific... with great purity, symmetry and length.” 92 rating” Robert Parker

1995 —“A dense, massive, beautifully proportioned wine... 95 rating” Robert Parker

1994 —“Exquisite ripeness and overall equilibrium. 95 rating.” Robert Parker

Les Terrasses

“As for a collectible wine in Priorat that sells for under $50, my vote goes to Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses...” Tom Matthews, The Wine Spectator

OVERVIEW Established: 1989 Les Terrasses debut: 1990 Finca Dofi debut: 1989 (no 1991) L’Ermita debut: 1993 Proprietor & Winemaker: Alvaro Palacios VINEYARD INFORMATION Soils: Friable Schist on steep, terraced slopes Appellation: Priorat Elevation: 250 to 600 meters above sea level Harvest: by hand VINTAGE NOTES 2007 – Early indications are for a very fresh vintage of mid-weight, pure wines. 2006 – Another dry year, but well-timed rain before harvest appears to have allowed complete ripening and beautiful freshness. 2005 – A drought year, coupled with a poor flowering, produced some of the lowest yields ever. The top wines have unparalleled levels of concentration and phs as low as 3.3. 2004 – May equal 2003 in quality, though in a more refined style. The wines are concentrated and profoundly harmonious. ADDITIONAL WINEMAKING NOTES No filtration, fining with egg whites (all wines) L’Ermita destemmed by hand, others by machine. Maceration: 25 days (L’Ermita and Finca Dofi); 15 days (Les Terrasses) Fermentation in oak vats with punching down (L’Ermita and Dofi); fermentation in stainless steel with pumpover (Les Terrasses) Malolactic fermentation in barrel for L’Ermita and Finca Dofi. Biodynamic viticulture for Dofi and L'Ermita.		THE WINES L’Ermita Fruit Source: Arguably Priorat’s greatest vineyard: a dramatically steep 2-hectare hillside of 70-year-old, head-pruned vines. Yields: Less than 10 hL/hA (2005) Blend: 100% old-vine Garnacha (a little Cabernet was added prior to 2006). Harvesting is by hand, with multiple passes to pick optimal fruit. Oak Aging: 100% new French barrique. Production: 250 cases. Finca Dofí Fruit Source: Estate-grown, from a single vineyard, with an average vine age of 15 years. Yields: Less than 20 hL/hA Blend: 60% Garnacha and 40% Cabernet, Syrah and Merlot. Oak Aging: 100% new French barrique. Production: 1250 cases. Les Terrasses Fruit Source: Estate grapes, with the addition of selected lots of purchased Garnacha and Cariñena grapes from vines averaging 25-30 years of age (but some as old as 60). Yields: ~25 hL/hA Blend: 30% Garnacha, 60% Cariñena, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah Oak Aging: 12 months in French barriques (20% new). Production: 17,000 cases.