La Conreria d'Scala Dei, Voltons, Priorat, Spain 2017

Not to be outdone by Brunello di Montalcino, the wine producers of Priorat dazzled our judges with their entry this year, and two wines emerged of such distinction that we felt compelled to include both in our top 50 Best in Show. This blend of Carinena with Grenache is dark red in colour, and smells of black fruits macerated with liquorice, menthol and winter spices like clove and mace -- though these are subtle and not crassly drawn allusions. The wine is not at all a blockbuster in style but trim and poised if muscular, with a lively seam of Carinena acidity to keep it fresh. The texture, perhaps, is its greatest distinction: seemingly a combination both of fine-milled grapeskin (fruited) tannins and other dryer tannins which almost seem to suggest powdered stone. Assured, long-flavoured wine from a great (and spectacular) zone.

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