Portal Del Priorat Negre De Negres 2022

Negre de Negres comes from the Clos Portal estate in the south of Catalonia, in the rugged DOQ Priorat run by Alfredo Arribas. It blends Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah grown on llicorella, the broken slate that defines the appellation. These steep slate terraces drain hard and force the vines deep for water, which keeps yields low and concentrates the fruit while lending the wines their characteristic minerality. The estate works the vineyards organically to keep that sense of place intact, and the grapes are picked by hand into small sixteen-kilo boxes to protect the bunches. After fermentation the wine spends twelve months in French oak barrels, where the slow oxygen exchange rounds the tannins and adds a savoury, smoky frame to the ripe black fruit. The result is fleshy and earthy, with ripe plum and dark cherry, black pepper, liquorice and a graphite minerality drawn from the slate. The palate is full bodied and structured, with firm ripe tannins and a long mineral finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanting an hour ahead. It is built for roast and grilled meats.