Our second winery visit was to Costers del Siurana. Though that is its official name, it is more commonly known as Clos de l'Obac, the name of its famous wine.
The winery is located in the village of Grattallops and it was founded in 1987. The winery is operated by Carles Pastrana, a passionate individual who is credited with being one of the first in the Priorat region. The property was extensively renovated and the old vines, such as Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cariñena, were resuscitated.
Carles Pastrana led our private tour of the winery and he was very personable and informative. His passion was obvious as well.The first wine of our tasting was the 2005 Kyrie, a white blend consisting of 35% White Garnacha, 30% Macabeo, 30% Xarello, and 5% Muscat (an old Catalan varietal). This is a white wine made to resemble a red. Rackings are used as if it were a red. It ages well and can be cellared for 10-15 years. It has a nice golden color with a nose of citrus notes. It is a full-bodied wine with restrained citrus flavors, especially lemon. It has a long finish. This is an interesting wine, recommended for those seeking a top notch white.
Our next wine was the 2002 Misere, a red blend of 27% Garnacha, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Tempranillo, 10% Merlot and 10% Carinena. This is a dark red wine. It is considered more elegant and feminine than the Clos De L'Obac. 2002 was also a food vintage, though not as much structure as 2001. I found it to be a silky wine with flavors of dark berries and a bit of spice. It tasted good and I could see why it was considered more elegant. It certainly is not a powerful wine. It is more seductive to the palate, and very enjoyable.
We then moved onto the powerhouse, the 2002 Clos De L'Obac. This is a blend of 35% Garnacha, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, 10% Merlot and 10% Carinena. It is darker in color, almost purple. There are spicy notes on the nose. On the palate, this is definitely a muscular wine but it does not overpower. There are lush notes of blackberries and dried black cherries with intriguing spice flavors. It is a complex wine that seems to present a variety of flavors as it lingers in your mouth, especially on its long finish. An exceptional wine that showcases the best of Priorat.
The last wine we tasted was the 2003 Dolc De L'Obac, a dessert wine. This wine is made of 80% Garnacha, 10% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a 16% alcohol content. It has a very dark, almost inky color, and a sweet nose. On the palate, the wine has an intriguing sweetness that avoids being cloying. It has good dark fruit flavors and would be a nice accompaniement with certain cheeses, chocolate or sweet desserts.
Costers del Siurana makes some incredible wines, a diverse selection that should appeal to many different people. I very much enjoyed them and even ordered some of the wines. I heartily recommend that you try these wines.
This is our excellent guide, Jessica, with me outside of the winery.
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