Item Number: 6330 UPC: 8429073013250

Country: Spain
Region: Catalunya Sub Region: Catalunya
Appellation/AVA: Priorat DOCa
Vintage: 2011
Grape(s): 50% Garnacha / 50% Samso (Carinena)
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750ml Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 14.5
Viticulture: Practicing Biodynamic
Soil Type: Friable Schist on steep, terraced slopes
Elevation: 250 to 600 meters
Fruit Source: Estate grapes, with the addition of selected lots of purchased old-vine Garnacha and Cariñena grapes.
Aging: 12 months in French barriques (20% new)
Fining: Egg Whites
Filtration: None
Vintage Notes: The 2011 wines are like blends of the 2009s and 2010s. The third of a great trio of vintages.

Winemaking Notes: 15 day maceration. Fermentation in stainless steel with pumpover. While originally conceived of as a value wine, Les Terrasses "Velles Vignes" has slowly evolved into the essence of what makes Priorat special. Drawing on 15+ years of study, Terrasses is sourced from many of the region's steepest and oldest vineyards—many of them north-facing to avoid the intense afternoon sun. With the 2007 vintage, Alvaro acknowledged Les Terrasses' "graduation" by adding the "Velles Vinyes" designation to the label.

Voted #26 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2013
"Rioja native Alvaro Palacios first won acclaim in Priorat in 1993 with his collectible L'Ermita bottling, from old-vine Garnacha. A relentless innovator, he has continued to improve the Les Terrasses cuvee: in 2007, he began sourcing grapes from old vines only, reducing production by almost one-third. In 2011, he started using only indigenous varieties Garnacha and Samso in the blend. The 2011 notches the cuvee's highest score."