L'Ermita, Alvaro Palacios 1995

This remarkable estate is the creation of Senor Alvaro Palacios, a young passaionate winemaker who was impressed enough by potential in the northeast corner of Spain's Catalonia to purchase a property in Priorato. His two Priorato vineyards include L'Ermita, which is an organically cultivated 25-acre vineyard. At L'Ermita, 80% of the plantings are Grenache, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and small quanties of Carignan. At Clos Dofi, 60% is planted in Grenache, with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. They are aged in 100% new French oak and bottled without filtration.