Ritme Celler Etern 2022

Etern is a Priorat red produced by Acustic Celler from a selection of Garnacha and Carignan grown on incredibly old vines, between 70 and 95 years old, with very low yields. Production is limited, with only 1,660 bottles made. The vines grow on the region's characteristic llicorella, a slate soil that forces roots deep in search of water and lends Priorat reds their mineral signature and concentration. The cellar follows a traditional process with native varieties to express the place, ageing the wine 12 months in new Allier French oak, where the barrel adds cedar, fine spice and a slow softening of the tannins through oxygen exchange. The wine is deep and dense, with blackberry, black cherry and plum, liquorice, dried herbs and a stony, graphite minerality. The palate is full bodied and concentrated, with ripe black fruit, firm tannin and the freshness the old vines and altitude preserve, carrying into a long, mineral finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant ahead of pouring. It pairs with grilled lamb, slow-cooked beef and mature hard cheese.