Les Aubaguetes 2023 en Primeur

I was anxious to taste the bottled 2023 Les Aubaguetes, as the sample from last year had shown the most elegant of the wines from 2023. It comes from an exceptional vineyard, "vinya classificada," 1.79 hectares of ancient vines (60% Garnacha, 35% Cariñena and 5% white varieties in 2023) in the village of Bellmunt del Priorat, a place that is different from most of the other vineyards in the village of Gratallops and always delivers pale, silky and fresher wines, with a more delicate profile, reflecting a north-facing, more humid place. This fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval French oak foudres for 13 months and spent two more months in concrete before bottling. Right now, it has a little bit of spicy oak, a rarity in the wines, but it can sometimes happen; it's light but noticeable next to the other wines. It has a moderate 14% alcohol and a very balanced palate with freshness and elegance. It has turned a lot more classical, with the serene harmony and the depth of the old vines, fine-boned, elegant and harmonious, even a little shy today, hinting at a slow development in bottle. This vineyard is revealing a strong personality and is the source of a superb wine, more and more consistent each vintage. 1,200 bottles were filled in February 2025, a particularly low-yielding year for this vineyard. There will be no 2024 because of the rain during the harvest and the problems with botrytis; there was only one barrel.

Layers and layers of fruit to unpack here over time; a special vintage of an already exceptional wine. Mixed berry fruits, strawberries and ripe plums mingle with iodine, wild flowers and orange rind. The Carinyena adds that touch of fluidity and drive, whilst the Garnacha just opens like a book. Effortlessly complex and a bit special.2024-2036. (Fintan Kerr)

From 1.79ha in the village of Bellmunt, this is a field blend in which Garnacha makes up just 60%. Perhaps this is why Les Aubaguetes reveals a greater sense of Priorat's mineral characters. On the nose, elegant white flowers join rhubarb, redcurrant and a stony sensation. The palate begins plump and ripe, perfumed with red fruits and sense of hot slate, leading to a long, controlled finish. Scores will surely increase as this wine matures.