Alvaro Palacios, Camins del Priorat 2022

A softer flavoured and more modern styled Priorat from one of the pioneers of this fascinating region.

This is a blend of Carinena, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. It’s fermented in a mixture of stainless steel, concrete and oak vats and then matured in cask for four months. Restraint is very much the name of the game here but with soft flavours of dark plum, cherry and fruitcake. The tannins are soft and the wine is very approachable now however I’d love to see how it’s drinking in another two years.

Although wine has been made in Priorat for centuries, it is only in the last 30 or so years that its name has become known around the world and much of that is to do with one man – Àlvaro Palacios. Àlvaro was a member of a small group of you winemakers that settled in this then little known region, hearing about the ancient Garnacha and Carinena vines and slate soils. He now produces the region’s most sought after wine, the single vineyard L’Ermita, however, you don’t need to spend a small fortune to purchase his wines, as this deliciously elegant offering proves.