This version of the Priorat comes from the celler of three French winemakers who migrated to Catalunya and set up shop in the tiny hamlet of Torroja del Priorat.  They’ve been making wines together here since 2002.

You can read about another of their wines – Riu – here, but this one was given to me by a UK wine buyer who was at Hotel-Hostal Sport in Falset when we ate dinner there.

As he was leaving, Dave Canadas dropped by our table and bequeathed me three nearly fully bottles of red Priorat he’d been tasting.  The wine geek in me had to do a blind tasting on each back at our hotel.

This bottle was the best of the bunch; buy it if you can find it in your market.

A medium ruby version of 100% Garnaxa grown on south facing brown llicorella soils, the El Casot is youthful and has intense aromas of sweet black cherry, fresh tarragon, rosemary and sage with minerals.

The dry palate has medium plus acidity and medium alcohol, which is a pleasant surprise in a Priorat red.  The tannins are ripe and have grip but are not as face-ripping as can be found in other bottles.  Flavours are clean and delineated – medium plus black cherry and black plum with currant, star anise and both fresh and dried herbs complimented by long finish.

Well balanced in terms of tannins and fruit.  A lovely example of 100% Garnaxa; WSET Very Good.