Clos i Terrasses Clos Erasmus 2021 (750ML)

100 FS / 99 WA / 98 VM

A complex bouquet that develops with a little time in the glass from fresh wild berry notes to floral and savoury-herbal nuances with violets and dried thyme. Extremely elegant on the palate, intense yet light-footed and vibrant, with fine-grained, perfect tannins and a long mineral, ethereal and savoury finish.-Falstaff

The 2021 Clos Erasmus is not a shy wine and comes in at 15% alcohol but with a pH of 3.3. The search here is for balance, as power comes as a given in Priorat. It was produced with 70% Garnacha and 30% Syrah, mostly from 40-year-old vines, except for a small plot of around 85-year-old vines. The vineyards are certified organic, and they've practiced biodynamics since 2004 but never got certification. The vinification is simple and the same as for Laurel: the bunches cooled down for 24 hours before being sorted and destemmed, then the grapes were put into the vat, where they warm up and start fermenting with the indigenous yeasts. It was pressed and put in barrels, 40% of them new, where it underwent malolactic and aged for 18 months. It feels like the most elegant and ethereal Erasmus ever despite the 15% alcohol on the label. It's very young and feels a bit shy, slightly developing notes of Mediterranean herbs, wild berries and flowers and is a little closed but very harmonious and insinuating. It's medium to full-bodied, with very fine and elegant but abundant tannins. It does feel lighter than previous vintages, possibly the effect of the cooler year. 3,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2023.-Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate

One of the iconic wines and producers in Priorat, the 2021 Clos Erasmus is a gorgeous expression of the slate soils of Gratallops. Comprising 80% Garnatxa and 20% Syrah, it reveals pristine pomegranate and sour cherry aromas, complemented by dried flowers with unusual nuance and intensity. Dry, compact and light on the palate, it draws its energy from the fruit, creating a defined and lasting finish. This is a rare and delicious wine born under the Priorat sun in a mild vintage. Superb.-Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media

2021-Snow! Rains! What a year! After an autumn and winter in 2020 characterized by drought, the storm Filomena ushered the new year with 2 feet of snow in January. This made not only for beautiful pictures of white landscapes but also scenes of frantic winery teams shoveling snow off the roads and trails. As expected, the tales of tractors heroically braving the snow and ice are still told every night at the café. And the year of plenty continued: relatively cool temperatures during the spring and summer produced beautiful, happy grapes. Then, rains at the end of August and September made for a very relaxed harvest. Not having to worry about the grapes over-maturing, we took our time and finished harvesting by October 7th.

Showing a rather different profile, the wines are precise and focused, with some vats finishing at almost one-degree alcohol lower than usual. The wines show a tapestry of cracking red fruits and citrus with a delicate but layered texture, perfect balance, and a very long finish.

2021 CLOS ERASMUS
Blend: 70% Garnatxa, 30% Syrah
The grapes come from the same parcels year after year, Escales, Aubagues, and Socarrats, which are fermented and aged separately. Destemmed, sorted by hand, and slightly crushed, the grapes ferment in 10-15 HL wooden vats. The macerations lasted 35-38 days. The malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. The wines were aged in 228L barrels (40% new).