Porrera Vi de Vila 2022

Porrera Vi de Vila is a village wine from Celler Vall-Llach in the D.O.Q. Priorat, drawn from the slopes around Porrera. It blends Cariñena, which leads the wine, with Garnacha from vines over a hundred years old, the great age and low yields defining its concentration and character. Priorat's signature llicorella, a slate and quartzite soil, retains heat and forces the roots deep through the rock, giving small, intensely flavoured berries with a marked minerality, while hot days and cooler nights preserve the acidity. The destemmed grapes undergo a three-day cold soak to extract colour and aroma, then ferment at a controlled 25 to 29 degrees for 19 days with gentle pump-overs, followed by a long post-fermentation maceration that builds tannin and depth. The wine then ages sixteen months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange softens the firm tannins and adds spice. It is deep, dark ruby. The nose shows red berry and plum fruit, black pepper and wild herbs over liquorice and a stony, mineral base. The palate is full and powerful, with firm tannins and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanted, with grilled or roast meats.