Ferrer-Bobet - Vinyes Velles 2019

Hudin.com

Tim Atkin

Guia Peñin

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2019 Vinyes Velles was produced with 79% Cariñena and 21% Garnacha from slope vineyards older than 70 years on llicorella slate soils all within the limits of the village of Porrera. They look for elegance and freshness and avoid over-extraction and over-ripeness; all of the wines are produced in a similar way—fermentation after a short cold soak, with pumping over and punching down and macerated until the taste tells them it's enough. This wine matured in 225-liter French barriques for 16 months. It has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.39 and 5.49 grams of acidity. It has a fruit-driven nose with ripe berries and spices and an earthy touch, reminiscences of graphite, with integrated oak. The palate is full-bodied and juicy, with very fine tannins. 26,824 bottles and 453 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2021.

Ferrer-Bobet is the project from Sergi Ferrer Salat and Raül Bobet in Porrera (Priorat) where they have 20 hectares of 20-year-old vines and 30 more hectares rented old vines between 70 and 100 years of age all in the village. They use exclusively 225-liter French oak barrels for their wines. Production averages 50,000 bottles of only two wines. Their current wines are from 2019, a year with a heat wave in June and the lack of rain (which today seems to be the new normality) that resulted in a year of concentration and power when the thing was to avoid over ripeness and achieve freshness and balance.

James Suckling

Aromas of cocoa powder, grilled meat, sage, espresso and blackberries. Full-bodied with silky tannins. So elegant and refined with real supple texture and rounded black fruit. Effortless balance. Delicious. 86% carignan and 14% grenache. Drink or hold.