Clos I Terrasses España Clos Erasmus 2022 750ml

The 2021 Clos Erasmus is not a shy wine and comes in at 15% alcohol but with a pH of 3.3. The search here is for balance, as power comes as a given in Priorat. It was produced with 70% Garnacha and 30% Syrah, mostly from 40-year-old vines, except for a small plot of around 85-year-old vines. The vineyards are certified organic, and they’ve practiced biodynamics since 2004 but never got certification. The vinification is simple and the same as for Laurel: the bunches cooled down for 24 hours before being sorted and destemmed, then the grapes were put into the vat, where they warm up and start fermenting with the indigenous yeasts. It was pressed and put in barrels, 40% of them new, where it underwent malolactic and aged for 18 months. It feels like the most elegant and ethereal Erasmus ever despite the 15% alcohol on the label. It’s very young and feels a bit shy, slightly developing notes of Mediterranean herbs, wild berries and flowers and is a little closed but very harmonious and insinuating. It’s medium to full-bodied, with very fine and elegant but abundant tannins. It does feel lighter than previous vintages, possibly the effect of the cooler year. 3,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023. (Luis Gutiérrez)

There was a note in the nose of the 2022 Clos Erasmus that explained that it's friends with the Laurel. In 2022, the Syrah behaved quite well, and some of the Syrah from Erasmus went to Laurel because she didn't want too much Syrah in Erasmus, which can represent perhaps 20% of the blend with a majority of Garnacha. There's aromatic complexity and nuance, with tender notes of wild berries and flowers, some pit fruit, a touch of earth and some sweet spices and smoke. The meaty effect of the Syrah is more noticeable after one hour in the glass. It's medium-bodied, and the palate this year surprised me, because the wine is really fine-boned and elegant, without lacking ripeness or clout. This is certainly not shy at 15.5% alcohol. The tannins are super fine and elegant, with an ethereal quality to them. It's still quite young but approachable. 3,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2024.

A spicy, elegant, gorgeous wine brimming in rich red and orange fruit, the 2022 Clos Erasmus is silky, a balanced commingling of 80% Garnatxa and 20% Syrah from high-elevation older vines planted at two different sites. A parcel selection every year, it’s aged entirely in French Burgundy barrels with only 4,000 bottles produced. Give it 2-5 years to hit its prime, and it should age another 10-15 more years with ease. The hardest question will be why wait?