Our most recent wine journey take us to one of the most noted wine growing regions in Catalonia, the Montsant D.O. (denominación de origen) located in the hinterland of Tarragona. Before 2001, the D.O. was referred to as Tarragona-Falset and today there are over 40 wineries that reside in this spectacularly hilly country interlaced with grape vine, almonds, olive groves and pine trees. Montsant forms a horseshoe around its more famous neighbor the Priorat. A similar grape mix is found here dominated by Cariñena (Carignan) and Garnacha (Grenache). The major geological difference between the Montsant and Priorat lies in the soil structure. Montsant has more silica, iron and clay, whereas Priorat is dominated by pure slate and schist. Furthermore, Montsant sits at a lower elevation than the Priorat with less rugged and terraced vineyards allowing for easier development of vineyards. Though Priorat is garnering a lot of press and may arguably produce the finest wines in all of España, certain Montsant producers are poised to take on some of the spotlight at more affordable prices.
Cellars Can Blau is a case in point. Started in 2003 as a partnership project between Spanish import giant Jorge Ordoñez and Ángel Gil of Juan Gil winery in Jumilla, Can Blau takes on a New-World approach with the hiring of Australian winemaker Sarah Morris. Ordoñez and Gil’s ‘Oro Wine’ project has worked the Aussie angle before hiring Chris Ringland with the Alto Moncayo project in Campo de Borjo and El Nido in Jumilla. Based on initial reviews (IWC 92/ WA 92), The Can Blau label is heading to top of the record charts in the same fashion as Alto Moncayo and El Nido labels. Take top quality native old-vines, picked at low yields tempered with state-of-the-art modern equipment, and you have hedonism in a glass.
I was extremely stoked to see the release of the 2004 Mas De Can Blau Tinto ($39) on the Vinfolio site (www.vinfolio.com). It’s the older vine rendition of two wines from this house which I had to the opportunity to sample when Jorge Ordoñez came through the Bay Area about a year ago. I still can remember the night I tried the wine and was floored by the sexiness and opulence that is not usually associated with the Montsant. A blend of 35% Cariñena, 35% Syrah and 30% Garnacha makes for a compelling argument that the best examples of ‘Rhone’ blends are being made in Catalonia. Fact: ‘Greater Catalonia’ stretched all the way into the Languedoc and Southern Rhone into the late 1300s. Fans of Aussie “Sheeeraz” and California Central Coast Syrah should add this wine to their must have list. Its full throttled black fruit explosion doesn’t mean that there isn’t any Old-World sauvage character in the glass. This effort still has all the great herbs and mineral accents that you expect from this region, but brace yourself for deep saturation and extraction. This is not your grandfather’s old-school Rioja! Mas De Can Blau is definitely more (mas) with a core of kirsch and blackberry compote laced with cola and tar notes. The twenty months of French oak ageing is apparent but in check with tannin and acid. This wine can age for a good five years, but all too tempting to enjoy now with a solid 90 minutes of decanting time. This wine deserves carnage like meat on the grill. Perhaps a spicy dry rub Rib-Eye with garlic mashed potatoes and braised collard greens.
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