La Baixada 2025

Álvaro Palacios is one of the figures behind the revival of D.O.Q. Priorat and the creator of the cult wine L'Ermita. La Baixada comes from a single 1.3-hectare plot in this rugged Catalan appellation, planted with Garnacha Tinta and Cariñena. Priorat's defining feature is its soil, the dark slate and quartzite known as llicorella, which forces the vines to root deep for water and yields tiny, concentrated berries that give the wine its depth, minerality and firm structure. The hot, dry climate and steep terraces push ripeness, hence the 14.5 percent alcohol. The wine is farmed organically and biodynamically and aged for twenty months in foudres, large wooden vessels whose slow oxygen exchange softens the tannin and builds complexity while adding little overt oak flavour, letting the slate character show. It is deep ruby, with ripe blackberry and plum on the nose over liquorice, black pepper, crushed herbs and a smoky mineral edge. The palate is full bodied and structured, with firm but ripe tannin, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish. Serve at around 17 degrees, decanted. Built for roast and grilled red meats.