Teixar 2019

Teixar is an extremely fine wine from Vinyes Domènech, a single varietal old vine Garnacha Peluda (hairy Grenache), which bears no resemblance to the powerful, wooded reds, and stands firmly by its elegance, without laying claim to the opulence of its counterparts in the neighbouring district, those big full-bodied reds from Priorat. A wine falling under the Montsant denomination, Teixar is a lovely ruby-red colour, not particularly dense which is typical of this variety, highly refined and perfectly balanced. Teixar is a balanced wine, highly refined, unblemished and clear-cut, with menthol notes releasing freshness on the nose and a light touch of vanilla. On the palate there is a notably fine acidity; it is most flavoursome with ripe fruit (blackberries), polished tannins and an agreeable hint of sweetness that makes it even more pleasant on the taste-buds. The aftertaste reveals a subtle touch of caramel on a wood-smoke background (for the ageing of Teixar only half the barrels are new oak, and the wood notes are very well integrated). Like Joan Ignasi, we too may wonder whether the ‘velvety’ grape skin has anything to do with the silky smoothness of this wine. NOTE: Decant before serving.