A textbook Priorat powerhouse

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2021 Clos Berenguer Clos de Tafall Priorat 750 ml

Retail: $30

$24 20% off per bottle

Shipping included on orders $150+.
  • Curated by unrivaled experts
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  • Temperature controlled shipping options
  • Get credited back if a wine fails to impress

The Impossibility of Priorat

Priorat’s red wines feel like they shouldn’t be possible. Not only because they pack an incredible amount of brooding concentration and mineral-inflected nuance into the glass. But because the region in northwestern Spain is downright hostile to any sort of farming. 

At wineries like Clos Berenguer, terraced vineyards line slopes too steep for machinery. The slate-dominated soil is so crumbly, it’s tricky to walk on, much less farm. And don’t forget the sun, which beats down with radiant intensity all day. These reasons are why Priorat’s vineyards have some of the lowest yields in the world, eking out around 54 cases of wine per hectare (2.47 acres), a fraction of what estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Napa Valley usually produce. 

Those same conditions give Priorat wines their powerful, densely concentrated character, and the minuscule yields are absolutely worth the struggle. The 92-point 2021 Clos de Tafall is an enticing encapsulation of the style, showing layers of fruit, herb, and floral aromas and a full-bodied palate with wonderfully integrated dark fruit, velvety tannins, and refreshing acidity. Return to the glass and you’ll notice Priorat’s other calling card: an undercurrent of minerality, carrying everything to an earth-inflected finish. 

The family-run Clos Berenguer estate sits at the foot of the Montsant mountains, which loom over the winery like craggy colossi. Here, seven hectares (17 acres) of old vines sit on both calcareous soils and Priorat’s famous llicorella, an unforgiving mix of slate and quartz that drive the roots deep in search of nutrients. This blend of Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah comes from across Clos Berenguer’s vineyards, knitting together a seamless, well-balanced wine—a prime example of Priorat’s hard-won muscle and depth.