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Álvaro Palacios 2022 En Primeur
'An especially impressive range from Bierzo and Priorat.’
JancisRobinson.com
Álvaro Palacios is one of Spain’s most exciting and influential producers. We are delighted to offer you a selection from his exceptional 2022 release.
Álvaro established his reputation in Priorat starting with Finca Dofí which he purchased in 1990. A Garnacha based wine, the aromatic 2022 has plump berry flavours and a refreshing finish. Superb value for money, it receives 95 points from Decanter Magazine. Very rare, the 2022 L’Ermita is gloriously aromatic and complex, ‘well-deserving of its reputation as one of Spain’s great wines’ says Decanter, who awards it an impressive 99 points.
Álvaro and his nephew began making wine in Bierzo in the late nineties where they produce incredibly refined and fragrant wines from the local variety, Mencía, under the Descendientes de J. Palacios label. Las Lamas, awarded 96-98 points by Luis Gutiérrez, is elegant and perfumed with concentrated dark fruit and silky textures. Showing great promise, La Faraona receives 97-100 points from Gutiérrez. The combination of high altitude, old vines, steep slopes and the complex geology of the vineyard gives an incredibly intricate and ethereal wine.
After making his name in Priorat and Bierzo, Álvaro returned to Palacios Remondo in Rioja. He set about regrafting Tempranillo with Garnacha, better suited to the terroir. Quiñon de Valmira, the top red, is one of his most ambitious projects. What little there is comes from a single, high-altitude vineyard near the winery. Cool limestone soil contributes incredible elegance to the Garnacha fruit. Supremely elegant, with appealing ripe fruit notes, the 2022, receiving 97 points from Decanter, shows incredible persistence.
Álvaro’s 2022s show impressive purity and balance across the range, despite the extremes of the 2022 vintage. Unfortunately, quantities are very limited so please contact us as soon as possible to secure an allocation. These wines are offered en primeur and stock is expected to land mid October.
Purchase In Bond (ex duty & VAT)
2022 Finca Dofi Priorat, Álvaro Palacios
£336 per 6 bottle case in bond
‘Dofí (‘the dauphin’) is the step up from the Vi de Vila Gratallops. Fruit is sourced from three vineyards in the village, totalling 12.5ha. Aromatically it’s full of plump berries. The wine arrives like juice in the mouth, then blossom with fresh citrus. It’s a crisp, lively wine, with a fine texture, finishing with a flurry of savoury notes, plus a firm grip. Vinya Classificada.’ 95 points, Decanter.
2022 L`Ermita Priorat, Álvaro Palacios
£2,220 per 3 bottle case in bond
‘L’Ermita is the second of Alvaro Palacios’ top wines to gain the Gran Vinya Classificada category. The vineyard now measures 4.7ha; it increased when Palacios and René Barbier swapped land. Work has been done to graft red varieties onto white vines. The result of the labours – including the permissions required from the Archbishop of Zaragoza for this holy hermitage – is a delight. Gloriously aromatic nose, introducing a wonderfully complex palate of cherries integrated with savoury notes, a shaft of minerality, wild herbs, and dark fruit conserve. Well-deserving of its reputation as one of Spain’s great wines. Gran Vinya Classificada’. 99 points, Decanter.
Las Lamas 2022 Bierzo, Descendientes de J. Palacios
£240 per 3 bottle case in bond
‘Right now, I prefer the 2022 Las Lamas to the Moncerbal from this same vintage. Moncerbal is the place that suffers more from the draught and heat, as it’s very rocky and has less organic matter, less water retention, while the Las Lamas has more resources to fight lack of water and high temperatures through the higher content of clay. This is expressive, perfumed and elegant, quite Lamas.‘ 96-98 points, Luis Gutiérrez.
La Faraona 2022 Bierzo, Descendientes de J. Palacios
£2,370 per 3 bottle case in bond
‘The nose of the 2022 La Faraona is an explosion of flowers and wild herbs, with an herbal side to it, really impressive and very Burgundian, with the Chambolle perfume and elegance. This year, exceptionally, La Faraona was harvested before Moncerbal and Las Lamas, something that has never happened in the past, when it was harvested even two weeks after, as this is a lot higher in altitude. So, it’s a year full of contradictions. So far, this is amazing, reminiscent of a grand cru Burgundy. There are more bottles this year—almost 2,000—so the prices are going to go down a little. It feels very clean, harmonious and ready. The idea right now is to bottle it in three or four months. The sample is not oaky at all and is drinking nicely.‘ 97-100 points, Luis Gutiérrez.
2022 Quiñón de Valmira Rioja, Palacios Remondo
£760 per 3 bottle case in bond
‘Quiñón de Valmira is not just a wine. As Palacios’ top Rioja it leads the transformation of Rioja Baja, now known as Rioja Oriental; puts the overlooked Garnacha back centre stage; and highlights , Sierra de Yerga as a fine vineyard origin. The palate is very appealing: succulent with a resounding red fruit and dark cherry ripeness, plus a lift of orange zest. Vivid, penetrating and long. Alvaro Palacios says Valmira is ‘all about the aftertaste and the length’. Viñedo singular.’ 97 points, Decanter.
Enquire About Availability
To enquire about purchasing, please fill in the Enquiry Form below, contact James Snoxell
([email protected]), or call our office at +44 (0) 20 7232 5450