A seriously indulgent, luxurious Rioja sporting the new classification, 'Vino de Pueblo', which denotes a wine that must be produced from family-owned vineyards within a named village, in this case, the village of Quel. Its charms begin before you have even pulled the cork, as the packaging is a treat for the senses too. Once inside, you are welcomed by soaring notes of cassis, black cherry, violets, vanilla and cedar. It’s a full-bodied, exuberant Rioja, blended from four small plots at 1,800 feet above sea level, where poor soils allow the roots to delve deep. 14.5% alc. 90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha. 18 months in 80% French and 20% American new oak and a final 6 months in large French oak foudres. 14% alc. Drink now-2032.

Press reviews:

JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Tasted blind. Scrubland, Provençal herbs and a mineral feel. Tremendous delicacy, depth, and fully integrated sweet tannins. Very intense in flavours but also long and fluid. It is quite exciting, even tasted blind… and getting excited by tasting blind is difficult! It is a Mediterranean profile, but gently done. Fabulous! (FC). Drink now-2040.” 18 points

Decanter (previous vintage): “Cherry, vanilla, raspberry and plum nose. Purity, definition and savoury twist on the palate all adds to the interest. Incredible spicy-floral length; a very lovely wine indeed.” 95 points

When it comes to the wines from Priorat, we often hear the same complaint from our customers. They say that they can’t afford the wines they like and they don’t like the wines they can afford. It’s not fun being the piggy in the middle in that game, but we have finally found a Priorat red that we believe squares the circle.

It’s a gloriously hedonistic blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 12 months in 300 litre French oak barrels and, if we do say so ourselves, tastes insanely good! It’s not impenetrably dark, like many of Priorat’s top reds, which can often taste like chewing on liquorice sticks, it’s lifted and perfumed and sweetly seductive. Imagine scented red-fleshed plums, cherry skins, peonies and Welch’s grape jelly, heightened by grace notes of tamarind, orange peel, cinnamon stick and sheer splendour. It’s rich, but silky and succulent and the tannins are saturated in sweet purple fruits, so it doesn’t stall on the palate, but glides down much too easily and is beautiful to drink with or without food. A dark mineral streak leads to a long, precisely tapered finish where all the delicious elements happily converge. 14% alc. Limited production (790 cases). Drink now-2032.

Organic farming

Press Review:

JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Utterly seductive. Wild thyme and mint on the nose, just the slightest drift. This wine is rich, rich, rich. A sensuous symphony of the ripest of mulberries, black cherries, thick plum fruit, plum skin, plum jam bleeding with red ink, orange tang and brightness, the fresh-iron lick of blood and beef-savoury Bovril. Caraway spice and something that takes me to a wood-panelled library, a glass of whiskey on the side table gleaming in the light thrown by the flames of a wood fire in the hearth. A scratch of tannins, textured like an old booking binding, as plush as a deep, velvet armchair. Right at the very end, a bright, playful, dancing ping of strawberry. Utterly irresistible... (TC). Drink now-2030.“ 17.5 points


Customer comments :

“I enjoyed that so much, I’ll happily take some more.” - Mr J.H.

“Tried last night and it certainly lived up to its billing - gloriously fruity, mineral and very long on the finish. V drinkable now, but I reckon it will be better in 12 months ... if anyone can keep it that long. Will be back for more soon.” - Mr. T.M.

”Excellent wine!” - Ms. J.H.

“Really good – one of our favourites.” - Mr O.M.

”L’Interrogant is completely delicious. Do you have another 12 bottle case?” - Mrs. D.C.

”I recommended this to a friend who likes Priorat….a lot. His father-in-law, a Spanish economist who knows more than just numbers, came to stay, tried the wine and declared it was the best Priorat he had ever tasted.” - Mr. L.M.