2021 Clos Erasmus Laurel Priorat

(96 Points) The 2021 Laurel, the second wine from Clos Erasmus was produced with grapes from younger vines, between five and 40 years old, and is a blend of 80% Garnacha, 11% Syrah and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were cooled down for 24 hours before sorting and destemming and then put in the vat where they warmed up and started fermenting naturally. They did a soft vinification with short pumping overs to avoid extraction, and the fermentation lasted two to three weeks followed by four weeks of maceration. The wine matured in oak vat, barrel and amphorae for 18 months. It's super aromatic, floral and expressive, clean and elegant, delicate and ethereal. It has a velvety palate that is nicely textured, seamless, elegant and balanced and with a focused, clean, long finish. I see the meaty side of Syrah here. It has 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.3. The oak is completely integrated despite the fact that the wine is very young. - Luis Gutiérrez  Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024