90 points Steve Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Sept 2008
(85% garnacha and 15% syrah) Ruby-red. Spicy, mineral-accented blackberry and cassis aromas are complicated by licorice and clove. The perfume builds with air, picking up floral and smoky mineral nuances. Zesty dark berry flavors are given a refreshingly bitter edge by rooty anise and cracked pepper, with good back-end lift. Finishes with lingering sweetness and very good length. This is drinkable now but will hold up for at least another few years.

Best with Beef of any kind, roasted, grilled or fried steak etc. Well hung game and any hard cheese alternatively a new goat’s cheese, will also suit beef stew’s, stroganoff, cassoulet, stuffed cabbage, Chilli, BBQ alternatively duck or kebabs and most soft cheeses.

This must be one of Spain (and the world’s?) leading co-operative wineries, making commercially astute and sometimes quite exciting wines from the 15 main producers sharing some 250 hectares about 625 acres of largely old vine high mountain vineyards planted at an altitude of 400 to 700 metres. The winery is located in Tarragona, and the Montsant DO wine region where these wines come from is a close neighbour to the famous Priorat region.

Vinification: temperature controlled fermentation (24-28ºC), both varieties were vinified separately in stainless steel tanks.
Maceration: 6-8 days and malo-lactic fermentation in tank.
Cold stabilized, light filtration soft fining before bottling.

Ageing/maturation process: Garnacha aged in stainless Steel tanks and Syrah aged for 3 months in American and French oak barrels.

Vineyards: Soil in the lower vineyards is alluvial while the higher vineyards and all terraces and slopes are on poor, mineral, stony soil based with some granite and slate.
Altitude: 150 - 450m.

Harvest/Selection: manual.
Yield: 1kg - 1,5kg per vine • 40-50hl per ha.

Technical Data: 4,7 g/l acidity (tartaric) - 3 g/l residual sugar.