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Grifoll Declara Predicat Priorat 2014

Priorat is a small, but significant wine region in northeast Spain, south of Barcelona.  It is a warm and dry rugged mountainous region with Mediterranean sunshine.  Wine making dates back to 1163 and was controlled by monks until land distribution occurred in 1835.  In the 1800's the vines were destroyed by phylloxera and modern wine making did not fully resume until 1989.  The dominant red grapes are Granacha and Carignon which are often blended with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

Predicat 2014 is a blend of Garnatxa Negra, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged 10 months in French oak.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol.

In the glass, Predicat  has an aroma of plum and wet forest.  The medium bodied wine has flavors of plum, black cherry and blueberry with some minerality.  I thought that the initial sips outperformed  the finish which was a little tart and weak.  All in all this was a nice change of pace from the Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon that I have been drinking lately.  I purchased this for $12.99 at Costco.

SC Wine Joe rating = 88 points


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