La Fredat 2021

La Fredat is a Garnacha Tinta from D.O.Q. Priorat, made by Casa Gran del Siurana, the Priorat venture of the Empordà group Castillo de Peralada in partnership with winemaker Delfí Sanahuja, based in an old building once home to Carthusian monks in Bellmunt del Priorat. Priorat owes its character to llicorella, a black slate and quartz soil that forces vine roots deep for water and gives the wine its mineral, stony grip and dense concentration. The hot, dry climate and steep terraces yield small, ripe Garnacha bunches, hence the full body and the 15 per cent alcohol. The wine spends seventeen months in used French oak barrels, the older wood firming the tannins and adding slow oxygen and structure without strong oak flavour, keeping the focus on fruit and soil. The colour is deep, dark cherry. The nose is blackberry, ripe plum and dark cherry over liquorice, dried herbs and a slatey mineral note. The palate is full and structured, with firm tannins, warmth and a long, mineral finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour ahead, with roast and grilled meats.