1990 Costers del Siurana Clos de l'Obac

Moving on to the flagship wine, let us first go back to the earliest days of Priorat’s renaissance. The 1990 Clos de l’Obac is understated at first, but unfurls in the glass to offer delicate scents of crushed flowers, leather and undergrowth. I would not describe it as “complex,” but it is well-defined. The palate is medium-bodied with a savory, meaty entry. The acidity is holding this wine together, although the finish is dominated by mushroom and feral animal flavours that need more freshness and vigour to merit a higher score. This is more a curiosity than something still offering pleasure. 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.