Munt Roca, Priorat D.O.Q Fashion

Munt Roca, Priorat D.O.Q

Today’s limited re-offer, which just arrived from Spain, provides another chance to experience the best Priorat value I’ve ever found. I could’ve sworn it was around the $50 mark when I first tried it last year, but its pocket-change price tag proved me wrong. There’s so much to say about this inexpensive red, but I suggest you load up while it’s still in stock and then coming back to read why it’s such a mind-bending value. 

Having been in the industry for some time now, I knew prices for quality Priorat were on a steep climb, but seeing all of our past offers were equipped with retail tags between $36 and $95 really put it into perspective. And then we found Munt Roca. This 2017 is a flawless, full-bodied paragon of Priorat (a region you must familiarize yourself with) that demolished a number of exorbitantly priced wines when we initially tasted it last October. In case you missed it, here are the results: Out of the 23 bottles we tried that particular evening—which included Cabernets costing 4-8x more, several fine Burgundies, and a powerful Southern Rhône—my hand reached for Munt Roca’s 2017 Garnatxa/Syrah/Cab blend time and time again. It’s what made it into my glass alongside a medium-rare steak, and it’s the only bottle that was depleted come bedtime. If that’s not a powerful endorsement, I don’t know what is! Grown on classic “llicorella” soils, farmed sustainably, and aged in French oak, Munt Roca is a one-stop master class into this storied region. For $25, it doesn’t get any better—this remains the finest price-to-quality Priorat I’ve ever experienced!

Although winegrowing in this part of northeastern Spain was initiated by Carthusian monks in the 12th century (Priorat is Catalán for “priory”), it surged to international fame just decades ago.  Priorat wine in the modern era was largely forgotten until a handful of producers led a comeback in the late 1980s/early 1990s with heavy investments and luxurious, critically beloved reds. Whether you’ve visited the Priorat or just seen pictures, it’s as unique and dramatic as wine regions get. Located about 15 miles inland from the Mediterranean coastal town of Tarragona, Priorat is often described as an “extreme” terroir. Its rocky vineyards are perched at high altitudes in distinct soils of fractured reddish-black slate (“llicorella”), and its climate is best described as harsh with bitingly cold winters and dry, hot summers.

For those of you who know Priorat mostly as a source of powerful, ink-rich reds, it’s fascinating to taste Munt Roca, a wine that is not uniformly “big” even though it has an alcohol level climbing up to 15%. A full-bodied red wine that traverses your palate like a danseur is always incredible, if not infrequent, experience. Today’s red blend, led by Grenache and rounded out with equal parts Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, come entirely from their sustainably farmed vineyards. These gnarled, weatherworn vines lie at an altitude of a couple thousand feet, and are buried in Priorat’s signature llicorella mixed with limestone. In the winery, the grape varieties ferment separately in stainless steel for many weeks before being transferred into new and used French oak barrels for six months. Following, the finished varietal wines are blended together and bottled. 

The level of richness, precision, and purity in today’s 2017 Munt Roca Priorat is positively stunning. In the glass, it reveals a dense ruby red with intoxicating perfume: raspberry liqueur, Bing cherry, strawberry compote, licorice, dried herbs, cedar box, leather, crushed slate, grilled meat, baking spice, tar, and dusty rose petals. The palate is full-bodied without question but, again, it hides its weight and power impressively well due to supple tannins, lifted acidity, and a deeply satisfying mineral component. As you’ll see, there’s an impossible-seeming level of freshness to this wine that promises to preserve it for many years to come, but its depth of flavor is certifiably mind-blowing right now: just decant for about 30 minutes before serving in Bordeaux stems. For me, it’s the complete package, a classic wine that over-delivers and surprises with each sip. I’ll be shocked if this $25 purchase doesn’t move you. Enjoy now and over the next 3-5 years. Cheers!