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L'Ermita 2006 75cl

DOCa | Catalonia | Spain
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Critics scores
96 Wine Spectator
This red is at a lovely stage in its evolution, still exuberantly fresh, but showing serious complexity. Expressive flavors of cherry, raspberry, garrigue and mineral mingle over firm tannins, kept lively by fresh acidity. Focused, harmonious and long.—Non-blind L'Ermita vertical (May 2013). Drink now through 2026. — TM
91 Robert Parker
The 2006 L’Ermita has a pure bouquet of lifted wild strawberry, raspberry and crushed stone aromas and crisp delineation. The palate is full-bodied with saturated tannins and incredibly pure, dark cherry and raspberry fruit laced with orange rind. The challenging growing season means that it does not possess the same harmony and weight on the finish as other vintages, although it demonstrates fine persistency. Drink now-2019. Visiting Alvaro Palacios was a must during my trip to Priorat, the dynamo and tour de force that has propelled Priorat to the forefront of the Spanish wine scene. The modern architecture of his hilltop winery lies in stark contrast to the nearby village Gratallops, where houses huddle as if sheltering from a raincloud that will never come. Indeed, as we parked the car, the village’s P.A. system was announcing that there would be no running water for the next two hours, indicating how precious a commodity water is. People suffer as well as vines. Since his debut in 1989, Alvaro’s wines have built a formidable reputation with prices to match. Fortunately, he pays as much attention to quality at the lower end of his range: a bottle bearing his name must meet his exacting standards. I listened as Alavaro expounded the greatness of Garnacha, convinced that the identity of Priorat lies in this grape variety and Carinena, rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. A man of his word, he is therefore reducing the percentage of Cabernet in his flagship L’Ermita and it would not surprise me if it is phased out entirely in the future. Personally, I think an already great wine is greater for it. He also rhapsodized about his nascent 2010s, which he feels are not as “heavy” as his 2009s and constitute “very enchanting wines,” something I completely agree with. Most of these wines were tasted in Priorat, augmented by one or two tastings held in London.
Producer
Alvaro Palacios
Embodying the new spirit of Spain, Alvaro Palacios was established in the Priorat region around the late 1980s. Founder, Alvaro Palacios actually comes from a large family, which owns the well-respected Palacios Remondo estate in Rioja. After years of vinous studies and international experiences (working under Jean-Pierre Moueix at Pétrus), Alvaro bought this small property planted to 10 hectares of extremely low-yielding old vines. The combination of his modern, yet calculated techniques in both the vineyard and cellar, produce one of the most important Spanish wines today – L’Ermita. This single-vineyard wine is a blend of mostly Garnacha, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cariñena, which is aged in new French barriques for up to 20 months. Exclusive and exceptional, L’Ermita is the region’s greatest example, it has a complexity, a depth and a concentration that is unrivaled.