Alvaro Palacios f anyone embodies the promise and spirit of its unique terroir of steep hills and terraces, “The New Spain,” it’s Alvaro Palacios. His Alvaro believed that here he could make a L’Ermita is widely consid- wine that evoked both Pétrus I and Grange. ered—along with Peter Sisseck’s Dominio de Pingus—to be the He acquired his first vineyard, most important new Spanish L’Ermita ... is arguably Finca Dofí, in 1990. Then, in wine of the modern era. “ the finest individual 1993, he located what is now One of nine children born to red wine in Spain. regarded as the crown jewel the owners of Rioja’s respected property in Priorat, a precipi- Palacios Remondo, Alvaro stud- John Radford, The New Spain tous, northeast-facing R A R E W I N E C O. ied enology in Bordeaux, while Garnacha vineyard on well- working under Jean-Pierre Moueix at Ch. Pétrus. drained schist that had been He credits his tenure at Pétrus for much of his planted between 1900 and 1940. Alvaro named winemaking philosophy and for showing him it for a small chapel, or hermitage, that sits atop “the importance of great wines.” the hill. T H E Alvaro could have returned to the security of In 1995, the flow of critical praise for Alvaro’s his family’s domaine. But instead, he was drawn L’Ermita began, and it hasn’t stopped. But while to the remote and seductive Priorat, 60 miles L’Ermita has received most of the attention, from Barcelona, which had been one of Spain’s Alvaro produces several other wines compelling important pre-Phylloxera wine regions. With in their own rights. Finca Dofí—from Alvaro’s original vineyard, Finca Dofí is a blend of Garnacha, Cabernet, and Syrah. Like L’Ermita, Dofí combines power and richness with great breed and finesse. In most Priorat tastings that do not include L’Ermita, Dofí is the clear winner. Gratallops—Alvaro has been instrumental in introducing the Burgundian ideas of Villages and Cru to Priorat. In 2006, he began to elaborate sepa- rately a collection of old vineyards from throughout the township of Gratallops to extend and commercialize this idea. Les Terrasses “Velles Vignes”—While originally conceived of as a value wine, Les Terrasses “Velles Vignes” has slowly evolved into the essence of what makes Priorat special. Drawing on 15+ years of study, Terrasses is sourced from many of the region’s steepest and oldest vineyards—many of them north-facing to avoid the intense afternoon sun. With the 2007 vin- tage, Alvaro acknowledged Les Terrasses’ “graduation” by adding the “Velles Vinyes” designation to the label. The evolving seriousness of Terrasses eventually left room for a new wine, Camins del Priorat. Alvaro had never wanted to be known solely for expen- From top: Alvaro Palacios in sive “trophy” wines, and with Camins, he found the opportunity to create the L’Ermita vineyard just something special. Drawing on his wealth of vineyard sources, Alvaro is before harvest; the L’Ermita etiqueta; and the steep slopes aiming to produce a wine that is affordably priced, but which also stays true of the Baixada vineyard to his vision of Priorat—powerful but elegant, approachable but restrained. 21481 Eighth Street East • Sonoma, CA 95476 • 1-707-996-4484 • Fax: 1-707-996-4491 [email protected] • Twitter: @RareWineCo • Copyright 2010 The Rare Wine Co. ALVARO PALACIOS Priorato, Spain
OVERVIEW The Wines Established: 1989 L’Ermita Les Terrasses debut: 1990 Fruit Source: A dramatically steep 2-hectare Finca Dofí debut: 1989 (no 1991) north-facing vineyard of 70-year-old, head- L’Ermita debut: 1993 pruned vines. Proprietor & Winemaker: Alvaro Palacios Avg. Yields: < 12 hL/hA (2007) Blend: 100% old-vine Garnacha (a little VINEYARD INFORMATION Cabernet was added prior to 2006). Soils: Friable Schist on steep, terraced slopes Harvesting is by hand, with multiple passes to Appellation: Priorat pick optimal fruit. Elevation: 250 to 600 meters above sea level Oak Aging: 100% new French barrique. Harvest: by hand Avg. Production: 250 cases.
Finca Dofí VINTAGE NOTES Fruit Source: A single vineyard, with an 2009 – A monumental vintage here, with the average vine age of ~20 years. ripeness of 2003 and the balance of 2008. Avg. Yields: Less than 20 hL/hA 2008 – Alvaro was the last grower to harvest in Blend: 60% Garnacha and 40% Cabernet, Priorat, and waited out rains that diluted other Syrah and Merlot. growers’ offerings. Small quantities, but Oak Aging: 100% new French barrique. outstanding wines. Avg. Production: 1250 cases. 2007 – Early indications are for a very fresh vintage of tightly-wound, pure wines. Les Terrasses “Velles Vinyes” 2006 – Another dry year, but well-timed rain Fruit Source: Estate grapes, with the addition of before harvest appears to have allowed selected lots of purchased old vine Garnacha complete ripening and beautiful freshness. and Cariñena grapes. 2005 – A drought year, coupled with a poor Avg. Yields: ~25 hL/hA flowering, produced some of the lowest yields Blend: 30% Garnacha, 60% Cariñena, 10% ever. The top wines have unparalleled levels Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah of concentration and phs as low as 3.3. Oak Aging: 12 months in French barriques (20% new). Avg. Production: 12,000 cases. ADDITIONAL WINEMAKING NOTES No filtration, fining with egg whites (all wines) Camins del Priorat L’Ermita destemmed by hand, others by Fruit Source: Estate and purchased grapes. machine. Avg. Yields: ~30 hL/hA Maceration: 25 days (L’Ermita and Finca Blend: 30% Garnacha, 60% Cariñena, 10% Dofí); 15 days (Les Terrasses) Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah Fermentation in oak vats with punching down Oak Aging: 3-4 months in barrique, followed (L’Ermita and Dofí); fermentation in stainless by tank and cask aging. steel with pumpover (Les Terrasses) Avg. Production: 50,000 cases. Malolactic fermentation in barrel for L’Ermita and Finca Dofí. Biodynamic viticulture for Dofí & L’Ermita.
THE RARE WINE CO. • 21481 EIGHTH STREET EAST • SONOMA, CA 95476