Cesca Vicent Priorat 2008
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Robert
Parker
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All the grapes in the 2008 vintage are hand harvested. The wine underwent a cool fermentation in stainless steel tank. The wine is was then racked only 3 times. About 3/4's of the wine was then aged for 6 months in wine rests in French and American oak barrels (50% new) .
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2008 Cesca Vicent is a blend of 40% Garnacha, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance Merlot and Syrah aged for 12 months in French oak. Liquid minerals, lavender, cedar, blackberry, and black currant aromas inform the nose of this full-bodied Priorat. Dense, layered, and rich, it makes up in power for what it lacks in complexity. It is an outstanding value that can be approached now but which will evolve for 1-2 years.
With the idea to study in depth the “terroir”, Cesca Vicent created a detailed soil map of her estate. This study done by Vien Asesoria, SL enterprise must be the guideline when handling the soil and the vine; because every “terroir” has its own characteristics and each grape variety expresses itself in a different way depending on what its roots have explored, and this finally results in the wine.
Beyond the usual suspects, there are hundreds of red grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines, while others are better suited for use as blending grapes. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles, offering much to be discovered by the curious wine lover. In particular, Portugal and Italy are known for having a multitude of unique varieties but they can really be found in any region.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.