Perelada Finca La Garriga 2020

Finca La Garriga is one of the three great wines, together with Finca Malaveïna and Finca Espolla, from the Castillo de Perelada estate, made 100% from the indigenous variety Samsó (or Cariñena), originating from vines aged more than fifty years old. Its marked varietal personality, its minerality (especially on the nose) and its freshness mean that, when tasted blind, it can easily be mistaken for a Priorat, although one of the smoother Priorats. The ease with which a wine of this maturity, intensity and complexity can be drunk is astonishing; overall, it is a tremendously fresh, palatable and powerful wine, with aromas seemingly fighting each other to be released from the glass. It regales us with ripe fruit aromas, of sweet fruit, rich tertiary notes (mushrooms, earth) and a gentle menthol freshness; a complex wine. Captivated by that explosion of aromas, it succeeds in seducing us on the palate: a juicy, intense, dense but dry entry, with hints of orange peel... provide confirmation of a serious, elegant wine. Although not offering on the palate the same complexity as on the nose, the fruit is chewy (strawberry and red fruit in particular), it is fleshy, and offers a warm ensemble, with great intensity, spicy notes on a lightly mineral background and subtle ageing notes (for those accustomed to French oak, we need to point out that this wine is aged in American oak barrels!). All the way through the tasting, it gives the impression of containing a restrained powerfulness, enabling us to enjoy every sip, without ever growing tired of it, right to the end.