The 2002 Clos de l’Obac has a Left Bank-inspired aromatic profile with fresh blackberry, briary and sandalwood aromas that are well-defined. The palate is full-bodied and more Mediterranean, with plush, dark berry fruits bounded by a firm, rigid, tannic ribcage. It displays very good weight in the mouth with a foursquare, crisp finish that reverts back to Bordeaux. This is drinking well now and should last another 5-6 years. Carles Pastrana was one of the pioneers of Priorat’s renaissance in the 1980s, when viticulture hung by a 700-hectare thread. Alongside Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier, Pastrana bottled his first vintage in 1989. His aim is to express the terroir in accordance with the vintage, to reflect its vagaries by always using the same blend of grape varieties year after year, while all his wines are unfiltered. The flagship Clos de l’Obac is one of Priorat’s longest serving wines although I somehow felt that the Bordeaux grape varieties did not quite “gel” with the Rhone. Importer: Vinea Imports, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 313-4994; Mono Verde Imports; www.monoverdeimports.com; and Obac Imports; no telephone number available.

Toasty oak supports ripe fruit flavors of roasted plum and cassis in this concentrated yet polished red. It has plenty of backbone, but remains balanced and lush. Best from 2006 through 2012. 200 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Priorat Select to Add