Another wine from Alvaro Palacios, one of the wineries credited (rightly so) with the rejuvenation of Priorat. This is a blend of 55% Garnacha, and 44% Cariñena (Carignan), with a "pinch" (1%) White Grapes. Purple in colour with ruby swirls, opaque and bright. The nose has nice black cherry fruit with dust and spices. The black cherry fruit comes thru to the palate with an underlying char and slate/minerals. Nice texture. Good finish. This wine is young and may improve a bit but either way should drink well for another ten to twelve years.
The still unbottled sample of the Garnacha and Cariñena blend 2016 Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes has vibrant acidity in a warm year when ripening stopped as the vines blocked and stopped producing sugar and maintained the acidity. The grapes were small because the year had also been very dry. It's juicy and with good ripeness and some dusty tannins, reminiscent of the dusty roads among the vineyards of Priorat along with that decomposed slate.