2008 Clos Erasmus Priorat

($175; 60% garnacha and 40% syrah) Glass-staining ruby. A wild, highly aromatic bouquet displays raspberry, blackberry, violet and spicecake, with a strong mineral element that gains strength with air. Juicy, penetrating red and dark fruit flavors are given depth by a note of bitter chocolate and include strong mineral spine. The spice and floral notes resonate on a very long, sappy, pure finish. This wine benefits enormously from aeration, but there's no way I'd open a bottle for at least another six years. (Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC)

Author: Josh Raynolds

Issue: November/December 2010

Always a benchmark against which all other Priorats must be measured, the 2008 Clos Erasmus is a great success. It consists of 80% Garnacha, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 22 months in new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color with an already complex bouquet of mineral, pain grille, Asian spices, tar, tapenade, and black cherry, on the palate it is dense, rich, and full-bodied with an elegance belying its size. Layered and opulent, it conceals enough structure to evolve for 6-8 years. It will deliver a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028, perhaps longer. It is a true tour de force!

Author: Robert Parker