2019 Ferrer Bobet Vinyes Velles Priorat 750 ml

Ferrer Bobet, one of the elite producers of Priorat, captures the rugged boldness of the region with this gorgeously rich and full-bodied 2019 old-vines release. Scented with crushed wild herbs and wild cherry, it’s got the inky concentration of old-vine Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but with the high-toned freshness that defines the best of Spain.

Founded in 2002 by Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet, Ferrer Bobet has rocketed to the top of the Who’s Who list in Spain, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with giants like Scala Dei and Mas Doix. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has called it “the future showplace of Priorat.” The winery has distinguished itself through a strict regimen of organic viticulture and high-altitude growing conditions that eke every last drop of concentration—sleek and packed with ripe berries—out of the century-old vines.

Our last visit Ferrer Bobet made clear just how much these wines are infused with the characteristics of the land. A sniff of the air in Ferrer Bobet’s high-elevation vineyards and you get the same aromas of wild herbs, fennel, and baked earth that rise out of the glass. The llicorella slate soils that crunched beneath our boots during the trip show in the earthy mineral depth of this wine. The baking sun that left our forearms reddened also leaves its mark on the Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah and vines, yielding voluptuous concentration in the grapes.

Carignan and Grenache from 20-year-old estate vineyards are hand-picked and sorted berry by berry. The wine is aged in lightly toasted French oak barrels for 16 months, endowing the rich dark fruit profile with subtle spice.