Lo Coster del Crivi - Carignan (21)

Carignan | oude stokken aangeplant in 1949 in La Morera de Montsant | puur leisteen | oostelijke ligging | 660 flessen | vergisting en rijping in een oud 500 liter eikenhouten vat voor 15 maanden | puur en diep | heel gaaf | stenig | zwart fruit | iets aards en kruidig | superfijne tannine | dropje | complex en lang | heel levendig | zijde | sexy carignan | jeugdiger

Gralton

Roc Gramona Simó wekt een oude familienaam tot leven. Zijn grootvader Josep Lluís maakte ooit in zijn vrije tijd wijn onder de naam Gralton — puur vanuit vrijheid en passie, naast zijn werk bij het familiebedrijf Gramona. Nu brengt Roc die naam terug, met minuscule producties van bijzondere percelen in Priorat, gemaakt in de kelders van Scala Dei. Diep, complex, en bijzonder.

Review

The 2021 Lo Coster del Crivi is a Cariñena field blend from a very steep west-facing slope planted with other grape varieties, even whites, which give a kick of finesse and freshness. The main variety is Cariñena, planted in 1949 on the Poboleda road of La Morera on llicorella soils at an altitude of 600 meters, although the plot shows a notable diversity; Garnacha Gris and Garnacha Tinta together make up more than 40% of the vines. It fermented with 20% full clusters and matured in a 500-liter barrels for 15 months. It's elegant and nuanced, with finesses and detail, and it's perfumed and captivating. It's not a shy wine with 15% alcohol and a pH of 3.35 and 6.2 grams of acidity. This is not a rustic Cariñena. It feels lighter than it is, with a medium body, a very fine texture and elegant tannins. Superb. Only 660 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023. I also tasted the 2019 and 2020—there was only one barrel of each and they are sold out. 96/100 Luis Gutiérrez

Gralton was a brand that Roc Gramona's grandfather used in his youth, and he is reusing it for a personal project in Priorat. He started in 2019 after meeting the people from Scala Dei—winemaker Ricard Rofes and vineyard director Albert Crivillé-Miró. Albert also has his own vineyards in his village of La Morera de Montsant, the highest altitude and cooler village of Priorat, where the soils transition from slate to limestone and clay. Albert provides the family grapes from two plots, a plot of Garnacha planted in the 1980s on limestone and clay and a plot of old Cariñena on a slope of schist.