Mas Alta Artigas 2022

Artigas is made by Bodegas Mas Alta in the D.O.Q. Priorat, a blend of Garnacha with Cariñena and Cabernet Sauvignon. Fruit is sourced from vineyards in the village of Vilella Alta, with vine age ranging from around ten years to ninety, planted on the region's mix of slate, clay and limestone between roughly 250 and 450 metres. Priorat's defining feature is its dark slate soil, llicorella, which forces the vines to root deep for water and gives the wines their mineral, stony backbone; the old, low-yielding vines concentrate that character further. The harvest is manual with a double selection of the fruit. Ageing runs sixteen months in French Allier oak, where malolactic fermentation rounds the acidity and the slow passage of oxygen through the staves firms the tannins and folds in toasted, smoky spice. The result is a deep, structured red with black cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit, toasted and balsamic nuances and a clear mineral undertone. The palate is full and firm, the tannins substantial, the finish long and savoury. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees after decanting. It suits roast and grilled red meats, game and hard cheeses.