This version of the Priorat comes from the Porrera celler of Joan Simó (the celler complete with wall-mounted sundial is left), but 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.

Older than the Viatge al Priorat but produced by the same winemaker and celler, this is made from 50% Garnaxa, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, 15% Samsó and 5% Merlot and is a medium plus ruby tinged with garnet.

It’s youthful with medium plus aromas of raisin, herbal licorice fern, blackberry, black currant and crushed rock.

The palate is dry but offers a slightly sweet profile with medium plus acidity and bracing, ripe tannins.  The alcohol is very high and it shows medium plus flavours of black currant, blackberry, black cherry with herbs, plenty of ‘new road’ tar that dominates the fruit, soy sauce and Dutch licorice.

With an average finish, this wine is WSET Good.