Bodegas Mas Alta, Priorat, Black Slate Vilella Alta

Very Good- and just what we wanted on a cold (OK, cool) night and alongside mildly spiced soyrizo tacos. This has deep fruit, but of the type that hangs onto a rocky, stony core, keeping it from feeling dense or cloying. Some smoke and crushed flowers and blue fruits. Reminds me a bit of some Burgenland reds, which I like. 15% abv and I believe it. Though there's no heat at all it packs a punch and provides some noticeable …

2015 vintage

Really nice. Drinking beautifully right now. Wish this wasn’t my last bottle.

2015 vintage

Corked. Down the sink. Ugh.

2015 vintage

Drinking really well now. Soft tannins, well integrated, black and red fruit. Terrific QPR.

2013 vintage

Absolutely singing right now. Surprisingly good!

2013 vintage

Found this to be a wonderful wine

2013 vintage

Showing extremely well right now - thoroughly enjoyed this one!

2013 vintage

Very enjoyable. Everyday drinker.

2015 vintage

A little too fruit forward...

2013 vintage

Have to agree with previous reviews. A pleasing week night wine, but much better options out there in same price range.

2015 vintage

Palatable, but doesn't even come close to previous vintages. I have to admit to being a little disappointed...There are plenty of choices in this price range which deliver more.

2015 vintage

A little disappointing, although maybe by comparison to earlier bottles from the evening. Seems quite sweet after drinking a zin earlier, and even next night under pump still had sweet overtones that kind of distracted.

2013 vintage

90m air. Much better than I recall of this blend of 50% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena and 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah from Priorat. Deep ruby/purple color. Plum, dried raspberry, crushed gravel, bay leaf, black pepper. Zesty, velvet texture, medium-full bodied. Red and black fruit on entry, spicy and tart through the finish. Great value.

2015 vintage

50% Garnacha, 30% Cariñena and 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. A blend of old and young-vine fruit aged in French oak barrels (30% new). 90m air. Medium/deep purple. A bit reluctant on the nose: dried cherry, wet clay and gravel, molasses. Creamy texture, medium-bodied. Zesty red fruit with just a hint of blueberry. Tart, spicy in the finish. My love for Priorat grows...

2015 vintage

Purple tinted color. Baked red and black fruit with some smoke on the nose -- which took a little while to come into focus. Definitely tastes a little sweet on the initial taste. You can feel the alcohol in the texture rather than any burn in that throat. Medium acid. Felt like it was made in a new world style.

2015 vintage

Not as good as the previous couple vintages. I might wait a couple years before opening another.

2015 vintage

Nose is subdued with a wet soil aroma coming through. Smooth texture with a silty, but pleasant texture. Blueberries up front and a bitter cherry finish. Does well with at least 30 minutes of airtime. Nice wine that punches above its price point - looking forward to see how this ages over the next 5-10 years.

2013 vintage

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2015 vintage

Interesting blend that works. Notes of blackcurrant, leather, charcoal minerals, flowers. Supple and elegant. One of the best $20 wines I've had in a long time. Tastes like fruit from Sonoma and the minerality and nuances from Southern Rhone had a baby. Wish I had some room in the cellar for more of this.

2015 vintage

Definitely different from your garden variety cabs, this has an intersting flavor profile, but high quality balance and texture. Don't know how these age, but seems fine now.

2013 vintage

Spanish Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : 39% Carignan, 23% Grenache, & 23% C.S. (the remainder being Syrah & Merlot) from 15-60 yr old vines mostly planted in schist, but with a few areas of clay-limestone soils. N: Jam SLIGHTLY atop smoke P: MF, poss M, body; RNDISH entry with ALMOST swtish frt (approaching threshold R.S.?) met by a firming, spicy astringency which morphs into a LONG finish with a tangy/swt (40:60) bent to the very, VERY fine …

2015 vintage

Winebar [4 Whites, 6 Reds, & 2 *shared* Reds] from 4/13/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA) : 39% Carignan, 23% Grenache, & 23% C.S. (the remainder being Syrah & Merlot) from 15-60 yr old vines mostly planted in schist, but with a few areas of clay-limestone soils. N: Closed; Berries, poss minerals? Intensity lurking? P: Med body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt off-set by acidity which slowly transitions into a LONG, swtly astringent/very, VERY finely tannic finnish. …

2015 vintage

Taste Wines from Spain (San Diego Wine Co.) : From importer's pg: "A blend of old and young-vine Grenache & Carignane with a small addition of C.S. ...fermented in tank & aged in FR oak barrels, 30% new." N: Closed; some berries/earth? P: Med body; Rndish entry with ALMOST swtish frt met by firming structure which does QUITE resolve by the the LONG, very slightly bitterswt finish. DESERVES into late Summer '18, then drinking for several yrs more. My VG; …

2015 vintage

Good drinking.butt most consumed while I had a cold, so can't fairly ratie

2013 vintage

Good weeknight drinking. Interesting flavors and balance, good over several nights. Drink anytime.

2013 vintage

Full bodied and intense, with good fruit along with some mineral and graphite on the finish. Dark almost inky in the glass.

2013 vintage

Really shines after a little air!

2013 vintage

Kind of a placeholder score here. Enjoyed, but on one night my mouth was completely coated earlier with ice cream and never recovered to get an honest taste. Why do I drink wine after ice cream?

2013 vintage

Better than my last bottle. Didn't note color. Menthol, black cherry, sweet cherry, plum & wet stone on nose. Medium body, medium+ acidity and dark fruit profile (with some minerality) on palate. This took 2 hours of air to be at peak but fell apart overnight. 92+ on night 1. Given wine fell apart over-night probably won't age well.

2013 vintage

Fruit and nothing else. Parker and Eric Solomon must have an agreement. 95 points is insane. Gift it this season!

2013 vintage

Big and unstructured

2013 vintage

Crushed dark red berries, oak....not much more. Acidic and tannic still. Not overly impressed but this was a cheapy. Hopefully more to come for those that have more in the cellar. I will try and kill my last one soon to retain some of its interesting qualities.

2013 vintage

Dark blackish red color - no sediment. On nose, plum, licorice, black cherry. On palate, black cherry, tar, blackberry compote - medium+ body, medium acidity (wine has balance) and medium finish. Paired good with bbq chicken. 90+/- Would have rated higher but alcohol was too prominent on palate. Nice midweek wine - my wife enjoyed this more than me (91+ from her). Good QPR - not a re-buy for me but would try by the glass at a restaurant.

2013 vintage

Dark red. Good rich fruit, small amount of earth and funk all in a pleasant way . Went well with food. Was a glass PNP at a restaurant.

2013 vintage

Wish I had more!

2013 vintage

Outstanding. I've had this bottling in other vintages and generally prefer the porrera but this showed fantastic. Bright, intense raspberry and strawberry fruit, a great earthy backbone, lovely structure, perfect acidity. This bottle was just singing. Not the most "Parker" wine but I get the 95 pts on this one

2013 vintage

Good QPR, its is a little thin but exhibits some balance.

2013 vintage

As you would expect, needs time to open (about 2 hours for me). Another really great Priorate wine. Again, nice balance and a smooth finish.

2013 vintage

Barbara liked it. John gave it 88. May be too young.

2013 vintage

At $20/btl this is certainly a great value. Good fruit flavors, although a little grapy and lacking any complexity, it still has enough going on to be a real pleasure for a weeknight wine. I'm not convinced this is the bottling that Parker gave 95 points to. There seems to be some inconsistency in the naming conventions, and there's nothing here that feels 95 points worth. But again, good solid value, so not unhappy at all.

2013 vintage

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Bodegas Mas Alta, Priorat, Black Slate Vilella Alta

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