Wine of the Week: 2001 Montsalvat (Priorat)

The new wine of the week has to be one of my favorite "splurge" wines. The 2001 Francesc Sanchez Bas "Montsalvat" hails from the Priorat region of Cataluña.It is comprised of a blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from 70-80 year old vines. Francesc Sanchez Bas is an agricultural engineer who certifies organic viticultural practices for the Spanish government and teaches at the University of Tarragona. In 1996, he built a small winery in the cellar of his home and began producing his own wine. He has certainly hit a home run with this wine. 

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this wine 95 points with the following notes: "The 2001 Montsalvat is a gargantuan effort composed of 70% Carinena from 70- to 80-year-old vines and 30% Garnacha of the same age with yields of less than a ton per acre. The wine was aged 16 months in new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The color is a nearly black/purple with a huge nose of marzipan, mineral, vanilla, and wild blue and blackberries. Full-bodied, the wine has an untamed, rustic feel on the palate with layered, opulent blue and black fruits as well as a balsamic note, and a splendid integration of oak, acid, and tannins. Give this wine a few years in bottle for further evolution and then drink it over the next 10-15 years."

If you are looking for a wine for a special occasion then I would definitely recommend this one. I had some friends over and we drank this with a hearty Catalan dish - Fricandó (Veal and Mushrooms). It paired incredibly well as the richness of the meat dish complemented the deep and rich flavors of the Montsalvat. This wine will run you about $60 a bottle but is worth the price for the right meal and/or occasion. If I have said it once, I'll say it again...

Life is short. Drink great wine!