Álvaro Palacios
About Álvaro Palacios
The Palacios name is revered in the world of Spanish fine wine. The family's patriarch José Palacios Remondo started his Rioja winery in 1945, and with four of his nine children following in his footsteps, the dynasty lives on. His seventh child, son Álvaro Palacios put the acclaimed region of Priorat on the map with one of Spain's finest, most sought-after wines; the genre-defining L'Ermita.
Decanter Man of the Year (2015), Álvaro Palacios joined the hall of fame alongside winemaking legends; Robert Mondavi, Angelo Gaja & Serge Hochar. Having spent 2 years working at Petrus under Jean Pierre Moueix, before working alongside Rene Barbier, one of the biggest names in Priorat, Álvaro was well equipped when he started his own winery back in 1989.
Álvaro is "the dynamo and tour de force that has propelled Priorat to the forefront of the Spanish wine scene" – Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate. The scarcity and excellence of his flagship L’Ermita mean it comes at a premium, which is why it gives us great pleasure to offer the more affordable, and excitingly the highest-scoring vintage yet of Alvaro Palacios Priorat Finca Dofi 2019.
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Prices:
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Catalunya | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£348.25 |
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Wine Advocate (98)I was anxious to taste the bottled 2023 Les Aubaguetes, as the sample from last year had shown the most elegant of the wines from 2023. It comes from an exceptional vineyard, "vinya classificada," 1.79 hectares of ancient vines (60% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 5% white varieties in 2023) in the village of Bellmunt del Priorat, a place that is different from most of the other vineyards in the village of Gratallops and always delivers pale, silky and fresher wines, with a more delicate profile, reflecting a north-facing, more humid place. This fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval French oak foudres for 13 months and spent two more months in concrete before bottling. Right now, it has a little bit of spicy oak, a rarity in the wines, but it can sometimes happen; it's light but noticeable next to the other wines. It has a moderate 14% alcohol and a very balanced palate with freshness and elegance. It has turned a lot more classical, with the serene harmony and the depth of the old vines, fine-boned, elegant and harmonious, even a little shy today, hinting at a slow development in bottle. This vineyard is revealing a strong personality and is the source of a superb wine, more and more consistent each vintage. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2025, a particularly low-yielding year for this vineyard. There will be no 2024 because of the rain during the harvest and the problems with botrytis; there was only one barrel. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£954.74 |
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Wine Advocate (98)I was anxious to taste the bottled 2023 Les Aubaguetes, as the sample from last year had shown the most elegant of the wines from 2023. It comes from an exceptional vineyard, "vinya classificada," 1.79 hectares of ancient vines (60% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 5% white varieties in 2023) in the village of Bellmunt del Priorat, a place that is different from most of the other vineyards in the village of Gratallops and always delivers pale, silky and fresher wines, with a more delicate profile, reflecting a north-facing, more humid place. This fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval French oak foudres for 13 months and spent two more months in concrete before bottling. Right now, it has a little bit of spicy oak, a rarity in the wines, but it can sometimes happen; it's light but noticeable next to the other wines. It has a moderate 14% alcohol and a very balanced palate with freshness and elegance. It has turned a lot more classical, with the serene harmony and the depth of the old vines, fine-boned, elegant and harmonious, even a little shy today, hinting at a slow development in bottle. This vineyard is revealing a strong personality and is the source of a superb wine, more and more consistent each vintage. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2025, a particularly low-yielding year for this vineyard. There will be no 2024 because of the rain during the harvest and the problems with botrytis; there was only one barrel. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£230.65 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£199.45 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The vineyard that produces the grape for the 2022 La Baixada is classified in the Vinya Classificada category of the Priorat appellation. It's 1.3 hectares in the village of Gratallops, mostly Garnacha with 2% Cariñena on a steep slope. Like the rest of the range, it fermented with some full clusters and indigenous yeasts in oak vats and had 30 days of maceration. It completed 13 months in oval oak foudres and was in concrete waiting to be bottled when I tasted it in January 2024. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.44 and 4.76 grams of acidity. This is super aromatic, floral, open and expressive, with a touch of exotic spices. It's powerful and elegant, with an incisive palate, deep, complex, with fine-grained tannins. Palacios told me this wine was special from day one. This could very well be the highlight of the 2022 vintage. It was expected to be bottled in March 2024, with a production of around 3,500 bottles. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£598.34 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The vineyard that produces the grape for the 2022 La Baixada is classified in the Vinya Classificada category of the Priorat appellation. It's 1.3 hectares in the village of Gratallops, mostly Garnacha with 2% Cariñena on a steep slope. Like the rest of the range, it fermented with some full clusters and indigenous yeasts in oak vats and had 30 days of maceration. It completed 13 months in oval oak foudres and was in concrete waiting to be bottled when I tasted it in January 2024. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.44 and 4.76 grams of acidity. This is super aromatic, floral, open and expressive, with a touch of exotic spices. It's powerful and elegant, with an incisive palate, deep, complex, with fine-grained tannins. Palacios told me this wine was special from day one. This could very well be the highlight of the 2022 vintage. It was expected to be bottled in March 2024, with a production of around 3,500 bottles. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£108.80 |
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Wine Advocate (96)2011 was not an easy act to follow as it produced what probably was the best Dofí to date, yet the 2013 Finca Dofí is as good or even better! The single-vineyard 2013 Finca Dofí, made since 2011 with Garnacha and perhaps 5% Cariñena (previously made with Cabernet Sauvignon), was fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in barriques for 16 months after malolactic. They have achieved a level of sophistication in the élevage of this wine because it is completely different from the wines of, say, 2005 (or 1995!) that were hard and full of tannins. This 2013 is nothing like that. Of course, there are tannins, but the texture is completely different, more akin to a Barolo with earthiness that is coated by ripe fruit to create a singular, unmistakable Priorat. Again, the best Dofí to date. 18,000 bottles produced. |
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Catalunya | 2 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£209.29 |
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James Suckling (96)Subtle nose of dried rose petals, slate and hints of red cherries. Full body, a beautiful structure and a dense and harmonious texture. Single vineyard. So delicious now. Why wait? |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£556.84 |
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James Suckling (96)Subtle nose of dried rose petals, slate and hints of red cherries. Full body, a beautiful structure and a dense and harmonious texture. Single vineyard. So delicious now. Why wait? |
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Catalunya | 3 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£239.21 |
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James Suckling (97)This is a very tight and fine-grained red with a compressed mouthfeel. The fruit comes through to a class and elegance. Such length. Ethereal structure. Unique. Drink or hold. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (JS) |
Inc. VAT
£697.24 |
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James Suckling (97)This is a very tight and fine-grained red with a compressed mouthfeel. The fruit comes through to a class and elegance. Such length. Ethereal structure. Unique. Drink or hold. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£108.80 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£261.62 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 5 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£556.84 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£123.20 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£399.64 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£115.45 |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£239.54 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£213.62 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The more backward of the 2021s was the 2021 Finca Dofí, which was very primary and smelled almost like the fermentation vessels, and it took time in the glass to open up. The blend is higher in Garnacha, and they couldn't use the Picapoll as it didn't work well that cool year, so it's 90% Garnacha, 9% Cariñena and 1% white grapes. It achieved 14.5% alcohol but kept better freshness than in 2020, a constant in the 2021 wines. Very promising. They expect 24,000 bottles. It should be bottled around April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£122.65 |
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Vinous (92)Dark ruby. Aromas of cherry, cassis, cocoa, Asian spices and underbrush, lifted by a strong mineral quality. Juicy, sappy and nicely concentrated, with very good density to its flavors of blackcurrant, bitter cherry and candied rose. A lively, sexy wine that finishes with strong mineral bite and impressive length. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£92.65 |
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Vinous (94)Glistening violet. An exotically perfumed bouquet presents an array of mineral- and spice-accented red and blue fruit and floral scents, along with suggestions of cola and pipe tobacco that emerge as the wine opens up. Sweet and pliant on the palate, offering incisive cherry, boysenberry and violet pastille flavors that deepen on the back half. Displays excellent finishing delineation, polished tannins and a lingering spicecake nuance. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94-96 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£219.64 |
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Wine Advocate (94-96)The blend of the 2021 Gratallops was higher in Cariñena than in the 2020 (25%), which resulted in a wine with a lower pH (3.37), the tendency that makes the 2021s more vibrant. They used some 40% full clusters for the fermentation (rather than adding the stems like in the past). The wine has acid berry freshness; and right now it's a bit difficult with the tannins and the acidity, but one more year of élevage should make it more polished. It should be long-lived and fresh. The expect some 17,300 bottles to be filled around April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 95+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,148.40 |
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Vinous (95+)Saturated ruby. More perfumed, more floral, fruit-driven aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, black raspberry, mocha and clove; vibrant and youthful. Huge, sensual and deep on the palate, with great creamy depth of flavor. Still a bit youthfully tight but has the structure and concentration to develop over the next decade or two. Great persistence on the finish; huge, dusty, noble tannins coat the entire palate. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£2,768.69 |
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Vinous (94)Full medium ruby. Deep, brooding, sappy aromas of black raspberry, maraschino cherry, dark chocolate, menthol and pepper. A huge, creamy, seamless wine with remarkably deep flavors of black fruits and minerals and nothing cooked about it. Wonderfully dense, broad wine that offers exceptional palate coverage. Finishes with outstanding length and noble, superfine tannins. The yield here was reportedly less than eight hectoliters per hectare. . |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97-100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£3,100.82 |
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Wine Advocate (97-100)As I saw in some of the other wines, there is a lot more Cariñena in the still unbottled 2016 L'Ermita than in the 2015. The varietal breakdown was approximately 85% Garnacha, 14% Cariñena and 1% white grapes—Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and PX. The grapes are manually sorted and destemmed by the team that picks them and are put to ferment in an oak vat with the natural yeasts from the grapes. Malolactic was in barrique, which is where the wine was maturing when I tasted it. It has electric acidity that makes it vibrant, even if the nose might be a bit shy. I don't remember a vintage of L'Ermita with this concentration and acidity. We have to see how the élevage rounds it out, but this could be a very important vintage for L'Ermita. The expectation is to bottle some 2,000 bottles of this in May/June 2018. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£2,763.62 |
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Wine Advocate (99)The flagship 2018 L'Ermita is already classified as Gran Vinya Classificada, the new category of grand cru vineyards from the Priorat appellation of origin. Like the 2017, the blend here is mostly Garnacha with about 20% Cariñena (the highest for this wine) and 2% of white grapes. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats with a maceration of 56 days and matured in oak barrels of different sizes for 14 months. The grapes were picked quite late but on the same date as the previous year, the 17th of October, because the vineyard is so regular. The wine is aromatic, intense and elegant, with a lifted nose and a high-pitched note of violet pastille, more refined than the Aubaguetes and Baixada. It is classical and proportioned, with contained and complex aromas and flavors and lots of energy, light in its feel but with inner power and strength. As with most great wines, it should develop nicely and for a long time in bottle but will drink well throughout its life. Grand vin, yes. 2,440 bottles were filled in April 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£971.05 |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
Inc. VAT
£3,521.54 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99-100 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£3,308.42 |
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Wine Advocate (99-100)The 2021 L'Ermita is a legend in the making, with 13.9% alcohol, the lowest ever, mind-boggling finesse and detail, purity, symmetry, elegance and great freshness that makes it vibrant with a low pH of 3.31 and 6.18 grams of acidity. These parameters should make it long-lived, and the wine is always going to be vibrant and develop citrus nose of grapefruit and orange peel. It's a powerful wine with plenty of energy, abundant tannins, even more fine and elegant than those from the 2020 I tasted next to it, and with great balance. It has a high percentage of Cariñena, much higher than the 2020, and comes down to 75% Garnacha, 24% Cariñena and 1% whites. Prices will be increased around 16%. They expect to produce some 2,800 bottles of this 2021 in April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99 (DC) |
Inc. VAT
£963.85 |
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Decanter (99)L’Ermita is the second of Alvaro Palacios’ top wines to gain the Gran Vinya Classificada category. The vineyard now measures 4.7ha; it increased when Palacios and René Barbier swapped land. Work has been done to graft red varieties onto white vines. The result of the labours – including the permissions required from the Archbishop of Zaragoza for this holy hermitage – is a delight. Gloriously aromatic nose, introducing a wonderfully complex palate of cherries integrated with savoury notes, a shaft of minerality, wild herbs, and dark fruit conserve. Well-deserving of its reputation as one of Spain's great wines. Gran Vinya Classificada. 4,930 bottles produced. |
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| Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Catalunya | 1 | 98 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£344.40 |
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Wine Advocate (98)I was anxious to taste the bottled 2023 Les Aubaguetes, as the sample from last year had shown the most elegant of the wines from 2023. It comes from an exceptional vineyard, "vinya classificada," 1.79 hectares of ancient vines (60% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 5% white varieties in 2023) in the village of Bellmunt del Priorat, a place that is different from most of the other vineyards in the village of Gratallops and always delivers pale, silky and fresher wines, with a more delicate profile, reflecting a north-facing, more humid place. This fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval French oak foudres for 13 months and spent two more months in concrete before bottling. Right now, it has a little bit of spicy oak, a rarity in the wines, but it can sometimes happen; it's light but noticeable next to the other wines. It has a moderate 14% alcohol and a very balanced palate with freshness and elegance. It has turned a lot more classical, with the serene harmony and the depth of the old vines, fine-boned, elegant and harmonious, even a little shy today, hinting at a slow development in bottle. This vineyard is revealing a strong personality and is the source of a superb wine, more and more consistent each vintage. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2025, a particularly low-yielding year for this vineyard. There will be no 2024 because of the rain during the harvest and the problems with botrytis; there was only one barrel. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 98 (WA) |
In Bond
£786.00 |
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Wine Advocate (98)I was anxious to taste the bottled 2023 Les Aubaguetes, as the sample from last year had shown the most elegant of the wines from 2023. It comes from an exceptional vineyard, "vinya classificada," 1.79 hectares of ancient vines (60% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 5% white varieties in 2023) in the village of Bellmunt del Priorat, a place that is different from most of the other vineyards in the village of Gratallops and always delivers pale, silky and fresher wines, with a more delicate profile, reflecting a north-facing, more humid place. This fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval French oak foudres for 13 months and spent two more months in concrete before bottling. Right now, it has a little bit of spicy oak, a rarity in the wines, but it can sometimes happen; it's light but noticeable next to the other wines. It has a moderate 14% alcohol and a very balanced palate with freshness and elegance. It has turned a lot more classical, with the serene harmony and the depth of the old vines, fine-boned, elegant and harmonious, even a little shy today, hinting at a slow development in bottle. This vineyard is revealing a strong personality and is the source of a superb wine, more and more consistent each vintage. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2025, a particularly low-yielding year for this vineyard. There will be no 2024 because of the rain during the harvest and the problems with botrytis; there was only one barrel. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
In Bond
£189.00 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
In Bond
£163.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The vineyard that produces the grape for the 2022 La Baixada is classified in the Vinya Classificada category of the Priorat appellation. It's 1.3 hectares in the village of Gratallops, mostly Garnacha with 2% Cariñena on a steep slope. Like the rest of the range, it fermented with some full clusters and indigenous yeasts in oak vats and had 30 days of maceration. It completed 13 months in oval oak foudres and was in concrete waiting to be bottled when I tasted it in January 2024. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.44 and 4.76 grams of acidity. This is super aromatic, floral, open and expressive, with a touch of exotic spices. It's powerful and elegant, with an incisive palate, deep, complex, with fine-grained tannins. Palacios told me this wine was special from day one. This could very well be the highlight of the 2022 vintage. It was expected to be bottled in March 2024, with a production of around 3,500 bottles. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
In Bond
£489.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The vineyard that produces the grape for the 2022 La Baixada is classified in the Vinya Classificada category of the Priorat appellation. It's 1.3 hectares in the village of Gratallops, mostly Garnacha with 2% Cariñena on a steep slope. Like the rest of the range, it fermented with some full clusters and indigenous yeasts in oak vats and had 30 days of maceration. It completed 13 months in oval oak foudres and was in concrete waiting to be bottled when I tasted it in January 2024. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.44 and 4.76 grams of acidity. This is super aromatic, floral, open and expressive, with a touch of exotic spices. It's powerful and elegant, with an incisive palate, deep, complex, with fine-grained tannins. Palacios told me this wine was special from day one. This could very well be the highlight of the 2022 vintage. It was expected to be bottled in March 2024, with a production of around 3,500 bottles. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96 (WA) |
In Bond
£88.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96)2011 was not an easy act to follow as it produced what probably was the best Dofí to date, yet the 2013 Finca Dofí is as good or even better! The single-vineyard 2013 Finca Dofí, made since 2011 with Garnacha and perhaps 5% Cariñena (previously made with Cabernet Sauvignon), was fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in barriques for 16 months after malolactic. They have achieved a level of sophistication in the élevage of this wine because it is completely different from the wines of, say, 2005 (or 1995!) that were hard and full of tannins. This 2013 is nothing like that. Of course, there are tannins, but the texture is completely different, more akin to a Barolo with earthiness that is coated by ripe fruit to create a singular, unmistakable Priorat. Again, the best Dofí to date. 18,000 bottles produced. |
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Catalunya | 2 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£168.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Subtle nose of dried rose petals, slate and hints of red cherries. Full body, a beautiful structure and a dense and harmonious texture. Single vineyard. So delicious now. Why wait? |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96 (JS) |
In Bond
£448.00 |
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James Suckling (96)Subtle nose of dried rose petals, slate and hints of red cherries. Full body, a beautiful structure and a dense and harmonious texture. Single vineyard. So delicious now. Why wait? |
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Catalunya | 3 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£194.00 |
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James Suckling (97)This is a very tight and fine-grained red with a compressed mouthfeel. The fruit comes through to a class and elegance. Such length. Ethereal structure. Unique. Drink or hold. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (JS) |
In Bond
£565.00 |
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James Suckling (97)This is a very tight and fine-grained red with a compressed mouthfeel. The fruit comes through to a class and elegance. Such length. Ethereal structure. Unique. Drink or hold. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£88.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£210.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 5 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£448.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96+)The origin of everything here and the first single-vineyard red, the 2018 Finca Dofí excels in 2018. Those 10 hectares planted 20 years ago in the village of Gratallops are mostly Garnacha, but the wine also has some 8% Cariñena and 2% white grapes. They all fermented after being destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts. The wine matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 16 months. This is the refined version of the Gratallops (the vineyard is in the village!) but with an extra degree of depth and complexity, especially nuance and elegance, showcasing the captivating finesse and harmony of the vintage, which is a little in the style of the 2016 with more energy. I see that these 2018s are quite transparent and show the style of the zone, the iron soils, the dusty roads and the warmth of the soils; it's round and lush, spherical but with a spike of freshness. The élevage has been polished so as to render it almost invisible. This is drinkable now, and I think it's also going to age nicely in bottle and drink nicely throughout its life. 29,540 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£100.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97 (WA) |
In Bond
£317.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97)The single-vineyard red 2019 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops. This year, it's 87% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena and 1% white grapes (Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo. It fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 14 months. It's classy, elegant and fresh with very clean aromas and flavors, not lacking concentration or power. There is superb definition and purity here; it has to be the finest and most elegant Dofí to date. It has finer tannins and more elegance than La Baixada this year. The 2018 was fragrant and this has more clout but superb balance. These two vintages have been great for Dofí. I still remember the 2005, hard as nails then and what the wine is now—spherical and velvety. Dofí on a roll... It was bottled in May 2021, and 21,146 bottles were produced. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
In Bond
£93.00 |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
In Bond
£190.00 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 96-98 (WA) |
In Bond
£170.00 |
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Wine Advocate (96-98)The more backward of the 2021s was the 2021 Finca Dofí, which was very primary and smelled almost like the fermentation vessels, and it took time in the glass to open up. The blend is higher in Garnacha, and they couldn't use the Picapoll as it didn't work well that cool year, so it's 90% Garnacha, 9% Cariñena and 1% white grapes. It achieved 14.5% alcohol but kept better freshness than in 2020, a constant in the 2021 wines. Very promising. They expect 24,000 bottles. It should be bottled around April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
£99.00 |
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Vinous (92)Dark ruby. Aromas of cherry, cassis, cocoa, Asian spices and underbrush, lifted by a strong mineral quality. Juicy, sappy and nicely concentrated, with very good density to its flavors of blackcurrant, bitter cherry and candied rose. A lively, sexy wine that finishes with strong mineral bite and impressive length. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£74.00 |
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Vinous (94)Glistening violet. An exotically perfumed bouquet presents an array of mineral- and spice-accented red and blue fruit and floral scents, along with suggestions of cola and pipe tobacco that emerge as the wine opens up. Sweet and pliant on the palate, offering incisive cherry, boysenberry and violet pastille flavors that deepen on the back half. Displays excellent finishing delineation, polished tannins and a lingering spicecake nuance. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94-96 (WA) |
In Bond
£167.00 |
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Wine Advocate (94-96)The blend of the 2021 Gratallops was higher in Cariñena than in the 2020 (25%), which resulted in a wine with a lower pH (3.37), the tendency that makes the 2021s more vibrant. They used some 40% full clusters for the fermentation (rather than adding the stems like in the past). The wine has acid berry freshness; and right now it's a bit difficult with the tannins and the acidity, but one more year of élevage should make it more polished. It should be long-lived and fresh. The expect some 17,300 bottles to be filled around April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 95+ (VN) |
Inc. VAT
£1,148.40 |
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Vinous (95+)Saturated ruby. More perfumed, more floral, fruit-driven aromas of blackcurrant, black cherry, black raspberry, mocha and clove; vibrant and youthful. Huge, sensual and deep on the palate, with great creamy depth of flavor. Still a bit youthfully tight but has the structure and concentration to develop over the next decade or two. Great persistence on the finish; huge, dusty, noble tannins coat the entire palate. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
£2,288.00 |
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Vinous (94)Full medium ruby. Deep, brooding, sappy aromas of black raspberry, maraschino cherry, dark chocolate, menthol and pepper. A huge, creamy, seamless wine with remarkably deep flavors of black fruits and minerals and nothing cooked about it. Wonderfully dense, broad wine that offers exceptional palate coverage. Finishes with outstanding length and noble, superfine tannins. The yield here was reportedly less than eight hectoliters per hectare. . |
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Catalunya | 1 | 97-100 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,576.00 |
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Wine Advocate (97-100)As I saw in some of the other wines, there is a lot more Cariñena in the still unbottled 2016 L'Ermita than in the 2015. The varietal breakdown was approximately 85% Garnacha, 14% Cariñena and 1% white grapes—Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and PX. The grapes are manually sorted and destemmed by the team that picks them and are put to ferment in an oak vat with the natural yeasts from the grapes. Malolactic was in barrique, which is where the wine was maturing when I tasted it. It has electric acidity that makes it vibrant, even if the nose might be a bit shy. I don't remember a vintage of L'Ermita with this concentration and acidity. We have to see how the élevage rounds it out, but this could be a very important vintage for L'Ermita. The expectation is to bottle some 2,000 bottles of this in May/June 2018. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,295.00 |
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Wine Advocate (99)The flagship 2018 L'Ermita is already classified as Gran Vinya Classificada, the new category of grand cru vineyards from the Priorat appellation of origin. Like the 2017, the blend here is mostly Garnacha with about 20% Cariñena (the highest for this wine) and 2% of white grapes. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats with a maceration of 56 days and matured in oak barrels of different sizes for 14 months. The grapes were picked quite late but on the same date as the previous year, the 17th of October, because the vineyard is so regular. The wine is aromatic, intense and elegant, with a lifted nose and a high-pitched note of violet pastille, more refined than the Aubaguetes and Baixada. It is classical and proportioned, with contained and complex aromas and flavors and lots of energy, light in its feel but with inner power and strength. As with most great wines, it should develop nicely and for a long time in bottle but will drink well throughout its life. Grand vin, yes. 2,440 bottles were filled in April 2020. |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
In Bond
£806.00 |
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Catalunya | 1 | - |
In Bond
£2,925.00 |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99-100 (WA) |
In Bond
£2,749.00 |
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Wine Advocate (99-100)The 2021 L'Ermita is a legend in the making, with 13.9% alcohol, the lowest ever, mind-boggling finesse and detail, purity, symmetry, elegance and great freshness that makes it vibrant with a low pH of 3.31 and 6.18 grams of acidity. These parameters should make it long-lived, and the wine is always going to be vibrant and develop citrus nose of grapefruit and orange peel. It's a powerful wine with plenty of energy, abundant tannins, even more fine and elegant than those from the 2020 I tasted next to it, and with great balance. It has a high percentage of Cariñena, much higher than the 2020, and comes down to 75% Garnacha, 24% Cariñena and 1% whites. Prices will be increased around 16%. They expect to produce some 2,800 bottles of this 2021 in April 2023. |
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Catalunya | 1 | 99 (DC) |
In Bond
£800.00 |
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Decanter (99)L’Ermita is the second of Alvaro Palacios’ top wines to gain the Gran Vinya Classificada category. The vineyard now measures 4.7ha; it increased when Palacios and René Barbier swapped land. Work has been done to graft red varieties onto white vines. The result of the labours – including the permissions required from the Archbishop of Zaragoza for this holy hermitage – is a delight. Gloriously aromatic nose, introducing a wonderfully complex palate of cherries integrated with savoury notes, a shaft of minerality, wild herbs, and dark fruit conserve. Well-deserving of its reputation as one of Spain's great wines. Gran Vinya Classificada. 4,930 bottles produced. |
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