95 Pts Wine Enthusiast

"A great Priorat, plain and simple. And while we have always liked Les Eres from Joan Simó, this vintage is the best we’ve tried. The nose is beautiful: coffee, cola, schist, black fruit and herbs rise up. In the mouth, there’s strength but restraint; huge black fruit, pulsing tannins and subtleties. Power and precision as well. A brilliant wine that can be drunk now with decanting, or better: hold for another 4-12 years." 95 points Wine Enthusiast

"The 2005 Les Eres Vinyes Velles is 55% Carinena old vines, 30% Garnacha old vines, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18 months in new French oak. Opaque purple/black in color, it has a superb bouquet of crushed stone, pain grille, lavender, incense, black cherry, and blueberry. Opulent in the mouth, it is rounder, richer, and more complex than the Sentius cuvee. It will continue to blossom with another 4-6 years of bottle age and be at its best from 2014 to 2025." 93 points - Jay Miller - Wine Advocate

"55% carinena, 30% garnacha and 15% cabernet sauvignon, all but the cabernet from very old vines. Opaque violet. Dark berries, cocoa and flowers on the nose, with a suave mineral underpinning. Bitter cherry and cassis flavors are given spine by zesty minerals and firmed by dusty tannins. Elegant and precise, with silky tannins and excellent finishing cut. Gained complexity with air, picking up rose pastille and iodine qualities and finishing with outstanding persistence." 92 points - Josh Raynolds - International Wine Cellar

"This is a sweet and meaty red with flavors of blackberries and plums that project into the finish. It leaves a juicy taste that brings oven-roasted venison loin to mind." 91 points Wine & Spirits

WINERY:
"This is perhaps the smallest winery in Spain. It was founded by Gerard Batllevell in 1999. In the first vintage, 1999, he used grapes harvested from small parcels near the towns of Bellmunt, Porrera, and Gratallops where he was able to find old vines of Garnacha and Cariñena. The bodega, located in Porrera, is a 200-year-old building, passed down from his mother’s family. Gerard hopes to continue his work to search out the best Garnacha and Cariñena old vines that produce less than 500 grapes per vine and produce extraordinary wine from them. At the same time he is planting new vines on his own farm, La Garranxa, in Porrera. This estate was totally abandoned during the phylloxera epidemic many decades ago. They are planting 50% Garnacha, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Syrah varieties. The soil is Llicorella slate. The climate is mediterranean, with very little rainfall." -Importer