Alvaro Palacios Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofí 2021 750ml

Scented, delineated nose but has depth, too. It effuses wet-stone minerality that gives a thin overlay to the red and blue berries. Some spices, briar and hibiscus, too. Juicy and medium- to full-bodied on the palate, which is a little more vertical and powerful than many of Palacios’ reds, highlighted by real tension and tautness here. Goes on and on. Drink or hold. (Zekun Shuai)

The single-vineyard 2020 Finca Dofí comes from the 14 hectares of vines planted across three parajes (lieu-dits) in Gratallops, a blend of 83% Garnacha, 12% Cariñena, 4% Picapoll—a grape with low sugar and high acidity (good for climate change) that he regrafted some four years ago—and 1% white grapes: Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo, all fermented in oak vats with 10% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in large oak barrels (bocoyes and foudres) for 15 months. It has good ripeness, 14.5% alcohol and a soft texture with nice balance, good freshness and fine tannins. 18,778 bottles and some other larger and smaller formats produced. It was bottled in May 2022. (Luis Gutiérrez)

The more backward of the 2021s was the 2021 Finca Dofí, which was very primary and smelled almost like the fermentation vessels, and it took time in the glass to open up. The blend is higher in Garnacha and they couldn’t use the Picapoll, as it didn’t work well that cool year, so it’s 90% Garnacha, 9% Cariñena and 1% white grapes. It achieved 14.5% alcohol but kept better freshness than in 2020, a constant in the 2021 wines. Very promising. They expect 24,000 bottles. It should be bottled around April 2023.

This fresh, graceful red dances across the palate, effortlessly integrating fine, sandy tannins with an enticing array of pureed black raspberry, red licorice, crushed gravel, and fragrant mountain herb and floral notes. Long and supple, with a lasting, well-spiced finish. Very classy. Garnacha and Samsó. Drink now through 2043. 2,100 cases made.

The 2023 Finca Dofí was still not bottled, like a few of the 2023s. It comes from the 12.5-hectare vineyard that names the wine, which extends across three different parajes, or lieu-dits, from Gratallops. The vines were planted 20 years ago on slopes and terraces, and in 2023, it delivered 95% Garnacha and 5% Cariñena that fermented with part of uncrushed grapes in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval oak foudres and large barrels for 15 months. When I tasted it last year, it surprised me because of it's floral and perfumed profile. It continues the same, a character that has grown in the last few years, floral, aromatic and elegant, very clean and precise. 28,000 bottles produced.

What a charming nose, with scented blueberries, crushed violets, red berries, wild herbs and a hint of dark olive. Juicy and pristinely dry and honest on the medium-to full-bodied palate, rounded by ultra-fine tannins, which are silky and powdery. Quite effortless and naturally long. Drink now or hold.

A silky weightlessness and overall sense of finesse belies the pinpoint focus and tension on display in this vibrant red. A frame of taut, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity drive this wine’s vervy energy while providing a well-meshed, sculpted frame. Offers aromas and flavors of crushed raspberry, Earl Grey tea leaf and tar, plus hints of rose hip, vanilla and graphite that echo on and on through the long finish. Garnacha and Samsó. Best from 2026 through 2040. 2,350 cases made. (Alison Napjus)

A plush and harmonious red that starts quietly, with delicate notes of pureed raspberry, anise, thyme, violet and a streak of graphite- and stone-laced mineral slowly expanding on the silky palate. Long and seamlessly knit, with chalky tannins defining the sleek finish. Garnacha and Samso. Drink now through 2030. 1,300 cases made. (Alison Napjus)