Rotllan Torra Reserva 2019

Rotllan Torra Reserva is a Priorat red from the Rotllan family, wine distributors from Penedès who arrived in the appellation just before it rose to prominence and made their first wines in 1984 at Torroja del Priorat, in facilities once used by the seventeenth century Carthusian monks of Scala Dei. It blends Garnacha with Cabernet Sauvignon and Mazuelo, grown on the steep licorella slate terraces that give Priorat its concentration, forcing the vines deep through fractured schist for water in a hot dry climate that ripens the fruit fully. As a Reserva, the wine spends twenty four months in American oak, a long barrel ageing whose slow oxygen exchange firms and rounds the tannins while adding the vanilla, spice and savoury depth of a classic, bold Priorat. The colour is deep red. The nose shows ripe plum and cherry with pepper, vanilla and liquorice, while the palate is full bodied and structured, with firm tannins, ripe dark fruit and an earthy, mineral core from the slate. The finish is long and warming at 14 percent alcohol. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant an hour ahead. It calls for rich roast and braised meats.