Alvaro Palacios - Priorat "Finca Dofi" 2022 (750ml)
Price: $127.99
| Producer | Alvaro Palacios |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Catalunya |
| Varietal | Garnacha, Cariñena, Picapoll, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Sku | 201568 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Alvaro Palacios Description
Alvaro Palacios is one of nine children born into a respected Rioja wine producer Palacios Remondo. He decided to study enology in Bordeaux and after graduation worked at Petrus. He eventually returned to Spain where he worked for a period as a barrel salesman getting the opportunity to travel throughout Spain’s wine regions.
In 1989, Alvaro as a member of the “Gang of Five” made his first wine and that group of 5 producers put the Priorat on the international wine world map. Alvaro acquired his first vineyard in 1990 and named it Finca Dofi. In 1993, he located and purchased his crown jewel a northeast facing steep vineyard on schist planted between 1900 and 1940. Because the top of the vineyard has an ancient hermitage he named this vineyard L’Ermita.
Today Alvaro’s wines are a beautiful expression of power and elegance. Finca Dofi is mostly Garnacha with a small part of Carinyena and also a touch of white varieties. The wine ages in large French foudre.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
A fresh, graceful red, with lovely purity to the crushed raspberry, pomegranate and cherry fruit flavors. Shows pinpoint balance and precision, integrating a bright seam of blood orange peel–infused acidity and fine, chalky tannins. Appealing details of bay leaf, violet, wild thyme and mineral join the fruit profile to echo on the long, fluid finish. Garnacha and Samsó. Drink now through 2042.
Wine Advocate: 95-97 Points
The 2022 Finca Dofí was produced with 88% Garnacha, 9% Cariñena, 2% Picapoll and 1% white grapes from a 12.5-hectare slope planted 18 to 38 years ago. It fermented with part of full clusters in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a maceration of 32 days. It matured in oval oak foudres and large French oak barrels for a period of 14 months. It has 14.4% alcohol and a pH of 3.46 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has a little more color and ripeness, and it's quite spicy, with notes of licorice and an earthy twist. Palacios told me Picapoll has provided very good acidity and low alcohol; some years they used up to 6% of it (they started grafting it some 12 years ago from the old plants from his old winemaker, Joan Asens).
