Celler Pinol - Raig de Raim 2022
Price: $21.99
Sale Price: $16.99
6+ Price: $14.99 / btl
| Producer | Celler Pinol |
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| Country | Spain |
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| Region | Terra Alta |
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| Varietal | 75% Red Garnacha, 15% Cariñena & 10% Syrah |
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| Vintage | 2022 |
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| Sku | 15131 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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If you’ve been shopping with us for a while you’re probably very familiar with the wines of Celler Pinol, especially Ludovicus which has been our top-selling Spanish red for almost two decades! I often joke with Todd that Ludovicus paid my mortgage for many years when I used to sell Chapel Hill Wine Company pallets of it as a distributor. But as great as the single varietal Ludovicus Garnacha is today, it used to be a red blend that was even better. I had thought Celler Pinol just decided to not make it anymore, but they do, they just kept it all in Spain. That is until now!
The Pinol family have been grape growers in Terra Alta for four generations. This mountainous wine region is located in Catalonia northeastern Spain, just southwest of Barcelona and right next-door to Priorat.
Due to its geographical isolation Terra Alta is still relatively new to the wine world, until recently most of these wines were consumed locally. But the old vines of indigenous grape varieties planted on the terraced slopes of Terra Alta hold some of the greatest potential in all of northern Spain. Watch this space, Terra Alta wines are on rise and Celler Pinol is at the forefront of this movement.
Pinol’s Raig de Raim (Ray of Grape in Catalan) is a blend of 75% Garnacha, 15% Carinena, and 10% Syrah from their Mas Manssanechs vineyard located near the medieval town of Batea. The old vines here are planted in rocky limestone heavy soils, with little organic material they produce incredibly low yields. Pinol’s winemaker Toni Coca is considered to be one of the finest in all of Europe, and after tasting this beauty you’ll know why! Toni works carefully in the winery to preserve the purity of the fruit, fermenting with only native yeasts in stainless steel tanks, followed by a long maceration over 20 days extracting more color and aromas, then 4 months of ageing in 300 liter oak barrels. The result is a quite stunning red that belies its price point, think Priorat meets a top southern Rhone yet with more minerality and freshness. Gorgeous aromas of forest fruits jump from the glass, its packed with black raspberry, boysenberry, and wild cherry. A second whiff and there’s more intrigue, with smoked meats, anise, and dried herbs. What I love about this wine is how it strikes that great balance between complexity and drinkability. There’s great structure, a fine core of tannins, and plenty of depth flavor from a lovely juicy mouthfeel that’s filled with lush dark fruits freshened by limestone minerals and bright acidity. It has you thinking you’re drinking something three times the price as you reach for your second glass… Great by itself, delicious with this Moroccan chicken couscous recipe. (or click on the pic)
Vintages and ratings subject to change at any time.
All pricing and availability subject to change.
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