La Perla del Priorat
2006 Noster Templari
Red Blend •La Perla del Priorat Estate Vineyard
Priorat
Mission Briefing
The Monks Carthusian
Today’s La Perla del Priorat 2006 Noster Templari took our recent tasting panel by storm. This wine is, quite simply, incredible.
If you’ve never tasted DOQ Spanish Priorat, today’s powerful, budget-priced Templari will thrill you with its structure, complexity and exotic flavors. This wine shows integration of earth, fruit and subtle spice, showing layer upon layer of flavor and aroma. As the wine opens, it really springs to life, delivering even more complexity. Cabernet drinkers, take note! This blend (of 60% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah) shows the same sort of structure and concentration as a higher-end Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Today’s winery was founded in the 15th century, by Carthusian monks of Scala Dei. Today, the winery respects the traditions and history of the land and winemaking techniques. Priorat is one of the driest regions of Spain, with an average rainfall of around 11 inches per year. Dry farming and limited rainfall creates smaller berries deliver deep intensity. Planted in one of Priorat’s oldest vineyards, today’s wine was born of vines that are up to 60 years old.
Priorat is a Catalan Denominació d’Origen Qualificada (DOQ) in Catalan for wines produced in the Priorat county to the south-west of Catalonia. The DOQ covers 11 municipalities. It primarily produces powerful red wines, which came to international attention in the 1990s. The area is characterized by its unique terroir of black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella. Priorat is one of only two wine regions in Spain to qualify as DOC, the highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations, alongside Rioja DOC.
Enjoy today’s beautifully balanced - and beautifully priced - La Perla del Priorat 2006 Noster Templari with our boldest recommendation.
Tasting Profile
| Look: | Deep, foreboding garnet at its heart, with a beautiful rustic ruby fringe at the very edge of the glass. |
|---|---|
| Smell: | A wonderful blend of dark fruit and earth, with deep black cherry, dark plum, and Mission fig in a delicate interplay with cocoa powder, cedarwood, black peppercorn, and clove. |
| Taste: | Concentrated, robust, and absolutely delicious, with bold dark fruit notes balanced by sweet tobacco leaf, freshly fallen leaves, dark chocolate, espresso bean, and black pepper. Under these flavors is a subtle slate minerality that enhances the rest of the palate beautifully. |
| Finish: | Incredibly silky and smooth on entry, with fantastic structure and acidity, this wine has enough tannin and structure to satisfy even the most diehard Cab fans. Long and lasting, the finish showcases the dry farming techniques used by the winery in the production of this wine. |
| Pairing: | Perfectly grilled bone-in T-bone steak, seasoned with a garlic, black pepper olive oil rub, and finished with oily black cured olives. |
What the Winery Says
This blend is made entirely out of the free run (juice obtained before pressing). The grapes are hand picked and selected again at a sorting table before destemming and fermentation. About 80% of the wine is oak aged in new French oak (Allier forest-Cadus & Demptos) 300lts. Barrels. The rest stays in stainless steel tanks during the aging period. Through this process the wine achieves the desired balance between the components imparted by the oak and the fresh fruit characteristics of the grapes.
Dark cherry red in color. Intense aromas of red mature cherries, black currants, and figs. Layers of cacao, mature tobacco, and mild spices. Full-bodied and well-balanced with mature tannins and multiple layers of flavors, slowly evaporating in a long elegant finish.
92 Point Review - Wine Advocate The nose is well-defined, with raspberry, wild strawberry and a scent of wild heather. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and fine harmony, offering peppercorns and clove towards the finish, which demonstrates great focus and linearity. This is an upstanding, classic Priorat that will age superbly. Drink 2014-2025+.
- Accolades
- 92 Points - Wine Advocate
- Appellation
- D.O.Q. Priorat, Spain
- Fruit Composition
- 60% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah
- Vineyard
- La Perla del Priorat Estate Vineyard
- ABV
- 14%
About the Winery
La Perla Del Priorat is one of Priorat’s oldest wineries. Founded in the 15th century by the Carthusian monks of Scala Dei. Making outstanding wines is La Perla’s way of respecting and honoring the rich tradition and history of this land. Priorat is one of the driest regions of Spain, with an average rainfall of 300 mm per year. With no irrigation, our vines are forced to seek water deep into the layers of Licorella stones. This typical Priorat stones are composed of layers of porous schist, very rich in iron and easy for the vine’s roots to penetrate and find humidity tens of meters underground. These conditions force our vines to have a very limited production (1.1 kg per vine). The north-east dry wind from the center of Spain prevents pests that could affect the grapes in a humid environment, especially during the harvest. We are therefore able to avoid unnecessary chemical treatments on our vines.