Mas Sinen La Vall Priorat is made from 57% Garnacha, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cariñena (Carignan), 9% Syrah.
This wine has a highly intense, lively vermilion red color, complex yet direct aromas with predominant ripe black and red fruits, notes of minerals and forest herbs. Flavors are strong, full and layered with round, fresh and delicate tannins.
Pairs with meat, sausage, cheese.
Mas Sinen Clos Priorat is made from 38% Garnacha, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carinena, 16% Syrah.
Before the 2017 vintage, this wine was called Negre. It is the same vinification and level of excellence as the prior cuvee, but with a different name.
It's quite ripe, concentrated, powerful and oaky with black rather than red fruit and peat and graphite aromas. The palate is full-bodied with plenty of rough-hewn tannins and moderate acidity, and is in need of bottle age and/or powerful food. An XXL Priorat.
Mas Sinen Coster Reserve Priorat is made from 50% Grenache and 50% Carignan.
he Priorat DO was created in 1954. But it is only in the 1990 that the quality of the wines were able to compete internationally. It is now a DOCa (The highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine regulations, alongside Rioja DOCa). Total acreage for the entire appellation is 4,400 acres. Intense red cherry color with garnet reflections. Black fruit, compote fruits, hints of balsamic. The mouth is ripe and intense, fresh and powerful. Strong and flavorful.
50 year old vines planted on Llicorella soil (decomposed black and reddish Slate, mixed with Mica and Quartz). Light filtration.
Mas Sinen Negre Priorat is made from 38% Garnacha, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carinena, 16% Syrah
Aged in 90% French, 10% American oak barrels for 12 months.
Maceration for 21 days. ML in stainless steel tanks.
Clarification with white egg and soft filtration.
The wine shows great spice and leather components, some minerality and a lot of ripe red fruits aromas as well.
This wine is certified organic.
Review:
"Dark, bright-rimmed ruby. Highly perfumed, mineral- and smoke-accented red and dark fruit preserve, baking spice and floral pastille aromas, along with hints of licorice and black tea. Gently chewy and focused on the palate, offering juicy cherry, blackberry and spicecake flavors that deepen and turn spicier as the wine opens up. Finishes impressively long and sappy, with a lingering floral nuance, well-integrated tannins and a jolt of smoky minerality. Raised in new and used barrels, 90% French and 10% American.- Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (March 2021), 93 pts
Appasionata Andante Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Buccella Cuvee Katrina Eileen Napa Valley is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Named after our first-born daughter, Cuvée Katrina Eileen is primarily composed of fruit from a vineyard in the Western Hills of Yountville, where yields are miniscule. The extremely rocky soil of the vineyard produces concentrated clusters of perfectly ripened Cabernet Sauvignon. In German, the name “Katrina” represents purity and fittingly, this wine is made entirely from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, providing a pure expression of this decadent varietal. It also reflects our daughter’s personality with flavors that are complex, unreserved and expressive.
Always a 100% Cabernet blend, our 2017 Cuvée Katrina Eileen is an opulent and mouth-enriching wine. Captivated by the inky-black color, luscious scents of dark espresso and cinnamon stick leap out, along with powerful elements of graphite and cassis. Remarkably rich and seamless, while boasting flavors of blueberry compote, dark chocolate and black raspberries, this is a compelling and luxurious wine focused upon velvety texture, silky tannins and incredible length. An intentional breadth on the palate and length in the finish are hallmarks of this wine.
Mas Sinen La Vall Priorat is made from 57% Garnacha, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cariñena (Carignan), 9% Syrah.
This wine has a highly intense, lively vermilion red color, complex yet direct aromas with predominant ripe black and red fruits, notes of minerals and forest herbs. Flavors are strong, full and layered with round, fresh and delicate tannins.
Pairs with meat, sausage, cheese.
The Mas Sinen Estate
Mas Sinen is located in the village of Poboleda, in the province of Tarragona. The winery dates back to the 19th century and has been in the family for a few generations. Mas Sinen is a beautiful estate made of stone and surrounded by the family vineyards. Today, Salvador Burgos and his wife Conxita Porta, together with their two daughters, continue the family tradition using the most modern technologies to produce high quality wine from the Priorat Denomination of Origin.
The ancient Mountainous region of Priorat incorporates nine villages of wine production. They are:
- Gratallops
- Bellmunt del Priorat
- Torroja del Priorat
- Poboleda
- Porrera
- La Morera de Montsant
- Escaladei
- La Vilella Alta
- La Vilella Baixa
- El Llorar
- El Molar
The vineyards measure 1.662,55 hectares on size or 4,106.50 acres.
Priorat is about vines per hectare and not about hectares, because the yields are so low.
The name Priorat comes from the word Priory and refers to the 12th century Carthusian Priory established in the region
The old vines in the Priorat region are almost entirely Garnacha and Carignane.
Soil type: local schist called llicorella (decomposing soil type).
Prior to 1979 very few wineries were in production and the area was becoming depopulated. The interest and revolution in Priorat was created by five wineries whose names all began with the word Clos.
1. Clos Mogador - Rene Barber - the modern day pioneer of the region
2. Clos Martinet
3. Clos de L'OBAC
4. Clos Erasmus
5. Clos Dofi - famous winemaker, Rock star and self prom Alvaro Palacios
Today many new small producers with less than 3,000 cases in production are emerging from this area.
Prices for the wines are high and Priorat along with Rioja are the two regions entitled to the highest quality designation by D.O. law: Denominacion de Origen Calificada or DOQ
Today there are 73 wineries in Priorato with new ones coming all the time.
Wines are designed to age for 10-20 years. The styles vary, but Priorat reds are normally dark colored, muscular, tannic, ripe, rich in alcohol in nature Think Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Spain with a Spanish twist.
The Mas Sinen Vineyards
The vineyards measure 15 hectares total. They are planted in terraces, in the slopes of the "Mas Sinen" mountain and are situated 300-500 meters above sea level, cultivated under organic methods. The vines are 5 to 50 years old planted to local schist called llicorella (decomposing soil type) which is typical of the Priorat region.
Enemigo El Enemigo Gran Enemigo is made from 100% Cabernet Franc.
In the spectrum of people who pay attention to detail, winemakers are often incredibly detail-oriented. This can sometimes spill over to become an internal battled, and, as Alejandro Vigil and Adrianna Catena state, "We are our own worst enemy." El Enemigo pays homage to this internal struggle.
The nose presents sweet aromas of black ripen fruits with hints of vanilla and chocolate, which appear after the oak ageing. The mouthfeel is sweet with structured, persistent tannins due to the natural acidity of this wine, leading into an excellent long finish.
Review:
The nose of the 2018 Gran Enemigo El Cepillo Single Vineyard, from a low-yielding and drier year, is full of curry, a note that was a constant across the three vintages I tasted together, but it tends to be stronger in low-yielding and dry years like this. It's also floral and comes through as aromatic and a little exotic, in a good way, with elegance, persistence and very pure flavors. It has fine-grained tannins, great acidity and balance. 7,200 bottles. All these single-vineyard bottlings mature in ancient 4,000-liter oak foudres for some 15 months.
-Wine Advocate 97 Points"Pretty and inviting on the nose with gorgeous aromas of floral violet, cassis and completed with a lifted, delicate liquorice note. The palate is graced with deep herb, pepper, crunchy red fruit and graceful, silky tannins."
-Decanter 97 Points
Alain Jaume Tavel Rose Le Cretace is made from 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre
Rosé de saignée (bleed technique) with a vibrant ruby color, complex and elegant, notes of crushed strawberries and rose petals.
Tavel Le Cretace Rose gives up vibrant wild strawberry, watermelon, crushed flowers and hints of spice to go with a medium-bodied, layered and seamless profile on the palate. A classic rose from this appellation, enjoy this beauty with food over the coming year or two.
Pair with roasted and/or spicy Turkey, sushi, seafood and grilled fish, Asian food.