Clos i Terrasses | Priorat | Laurel | 2020 | 750ml

Description

Product description for Clos i Terrasses Laurel 2020

Wine Information

Clos I Terrasses was founded in Gratallops, Priorat, by Daphne Glorian in the late 1980s. Daphne Glorian was part of a group of young winemakers who rediscovered Priorat and, within a very short time, produced some of Spain’s finest and most expensive red wines. Alongside René Barbier’s Clos Mogador, Costers del Siurana’s Clos de l’Obac, Mas Martinets, and Álvaro Palacios’ l’Ermita, it was Daphne Glorian’s Clos Erasmus that quickly achieved cult status. Laurel—the English translation of the Greek name Daphne—is the second wine, so to speak, alongside Clos Erasmus. It is a cuvée of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet, whose vines have been cultivated biodynamically for a long time under the aegis of Ester Nin (Nin-Ortiz). In the cellar, the wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation in wooden cuvées and in concrete, and then matures for 18 months in old barriques, clay amphorae, and a concrete egg.

Colour

: Dark purple red

Nose

It is fascinating how transparent and fragrant, yet simultaneously full and expressive the Laurel appears on the nose. It is reminiscent of blueberries and blackberries, a hint of cassis and black cherries. Added to this are notes of cinnamon and graphite, rose petals, violets, and mint, as well as black tea and crushed stone. Everything here appears subtle, fine, clear, and elegant.

Palate

This impressive elegance and sensuality can also be found on the palate of the 2020 Laurel. The opening is also characterized by Cabernet-typical black currants and cherries, which exude a tart juiciness and are accompanied by a handful of barberries and pomegranate seeds. The Syrah also exudes plums, violets, bresaola, and black olive tapenade. Then it becomes warmer and more chocolatey with a creamy texture, a sweet core, the Grenache-typical note of licorice, and a striking yet extremely fine-grained tannin. The lack of noticeable wood allows the excellent fruit of this wine to take center stage. It is almost sacrilege these days when Syrah and Cabernet appear in more recent Priorat cuvées. But Daphne Glorian has so far been unable to bring herself to remove these vines from the vineyards in favor of native varieties. When tasting this wine, one can only say: fortunately, because the Laurel benefits from the 20% French varieties and offers superb balance and finesse, magnificent length and elegance, density and complexity. This wine is much more than a second wine of the legendary Clos Erasmus. It is a small masterpiece in its own right and the most sensual Laurel I have ever tasted.

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Keywords: Clos i Terrasses Laurel 2020 Priorat Spain

Producer website: http://www.closerasmus.com/