2023 Camins del Priorat presents a lively and generous aroma that evokes memories of sun-ripened red berries such as cherries and raspberries, accompanied by notes of black plums and wild herbs. The palate is full-bodied and well-structured, with balanced acidity that lifts the wine’s fruity core. Elegant hints of liquorice, violet flowers, and a subtle minerality from the slate soils round out the wine’s complexity.
The harvest is carried out by hand to ensure that only the finest grapes are used. After gentle destemming and pressing, the wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and cement vats to preserve its fruit character. It is then aged in a combination of large oak casks and French barriques for approximately 6–8 months, adding structure and elegance without overpowering the wine’s natural expression.
2023 Camins del Priorat is a wine born from the dramatic landscape of the Priorat region in Catalonia, Spain. The terroir is defined by steep, terraced vineyards where the vines grow in a slate-rich soil known as “llicorella.” This unique soil type contributes to the wine’s intense minerality and depth. The climate is warm and dry, yet influenced by cooling breezes from the Mediterranean, which help balance the grapes and preserve their fresh acidity. The vineyards lie at altitudes between 300 and 700 metres above sea level, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and develop a concentrated flavour profile.
About Alvaro Palacios
For many, Alvaro Palacios’ story begins hundreds of years ago with monks. Monks who not only had the time to refine their products, but were also pleasantly free from economic concerns. At least according to Alvaro Palacios himself: “All the greatest wine regions in Europe were founded by monks. The whole foundation is religious. And making the world’s best wine – or Spain’s best wine – requires a religious attitude toward wine.”
Alvaro Palacios trained as an oenologist in Bordeaux and, among other roles, worked at the magnificent Château Petrus in Pomerol before returning to Spain in the early 1990s to take over and expand the family estates. As early as 1995, critics began showering Alvaro Palacios with praise, and the accolades have continued ever since – whether the wines in the spotlight were from Priorat, Rioja, or Bierzo. Everything Alvaro touches does not turn to gold, but into divinely inspired, delicious, and highly distinctive wines.
Alvaro Palacios grew up among nine siblings at his parents’ winery, Palacios Remondo, in Rioja. Surprisingly, Alvaro chose to travel rather than continue the family business, even though he had a deep interest in the many facets of the wine world. He went to Bordeaux to train as an oenologist and later worked at Château Petrus. He then returned to Spain and settled in Priorat in 1989, which at the time was known for its production of bulk wine. Alvaro gained a foothold there where many other winegrowers had been forced to give up, as the vineyards produced only meagre yields.
Since 1995, Alvaro Palacios has received recognition and acclaim for his winemaking. It is especially the prestige wine L’Ermita that is beloved and has secured him a place among the finest wineries of Spain’s new generation.
