2010 La Vinya del Vuit 8

(95% carinena and 5% garnacha): Inky ruby. Explosive mineral- and spice-driven aromas of cherry, black raspberry and cola, with a sexy floral note adding complexity. Sweet, sappy and focused on the palate, offering concentrated red and dark berry flavors and a touch of bitter chocolate. The mineral quality comes back strong on the strikingly persistent finish, which is firmed by gently chewy, harmonious tannins. Boasts a superb marriage of power and elegance.

I suspect 2010 might be the best vintage so far for the serious La Vinya del Vuit, a limited-production red for an extremely old vineyard in Priorat produced by a group of eight friends. This is a quite warm vineyard in Gratallops that took very well a vintage like 2010 and shows very good balance between power and freshness, it has concentration while keeping the freshness. It's very earthy, mineral, penetrating and long. A superb classical, Priorat not showing any makeup or oenological tricks other than the earth where the vines grow. Superb! 3,000 bottles. Jun 2015, www.robertparker.com