2011 Laurel

All the grapes were used to produce the second wine, Laurel, which in 2011 might be the bargain of the vintage from Priorat. The wine is a blend of 75% Garnacha, 20% Syrah and 5% Cabernet aged for 21 months, 50% in troncoconic wood vats from Taransaud (20 hl) and 50% in 2- to 4-year-old barrels. This is a serious, concentrated wine, quite restrained, with aromas of black fruit, black cherries and hints of violets intermixed with notes of tobacco and the wood perfectly integrated with the fruit. The palate has the mineral sensation provided by the llicorella, a sappiness lifted by the alcohol, which is moderate for such a warm vintage. There is incredible freshness and balance. This is the opportunity to get a mini-Erasmus at a much lower price. 16,000 bottles were produced, the largest production of Laurel ever. Drink now-2018. Daphne Glorian didn’t think the majority of her grapes from 2011 were up to the standard for her Clos Erasmus, so she didn’t produce it in that warm vintage, the first time in 25 years. I also tasted a sample of the 2012, the next vintage for Erasmus, which will be bottled in April or March, where a small part of the wine was aged in clay amphorae. I was very impressed and look forward to the bottled wine. Imported by Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; Tel. (704) 358-1565

(75% garnacha, 20% syrah and 5% cabernet sauvignon; half aged in new French oak and the rest in two-to-four-year-old barrels): Brilliant ruby-red. Smoky, spice-accented scents of blueberry, boysenberry and smoky Indian spices. Lush and creamy in texture, offering deeply pitched black and blue fruit flavors brightened by zesty minerality. The spicy note comes back on the finish, which is supple, broad and impressively persistent. Since there will be no Clos Erasmus this vintage, Daphne Glorian-Solomon has blended all of the estate's best juice into this bottling.