$25.99 at Crush Wine & Spirits in Bryant, Arkansas (AR)
90 points – Wine Spectator
50% Garnacha / 35% Cariñena / 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
No oak aging.
Red fruit aromas of cranberries, raspberries, and cherries with hints of eucalyptus. Full-bodied and fresh tannins. Concentrated flavor. Firm acidity. High alcohol.
Tosalet is made by Hammeken Cellars which was founded in 1996 by president and managing director, Nicholas Hammeken. He received his winemaking education in Denmark and spent many years in sales in marketing in the wine industry in France, Germany, and England. At Hammeken Cellars in Jávea, Spain, Nicholas has put together a team of 21 wine professionals including five winemakers. His philosophy and main focus has been on wines made from traditional Spanish grape varietals but produced with modern methods that emphasize fruit instead of oak and freshness instead of long aging.
The wine region of Priorat, a secluded hilly area about an hour and a half drive south of Barcelona, has been producing wine for centuries going back to the Carthisian monks until the Spanish government expropriated the vineyards in 1835 and distributed them to smallholders. Phylloxera then destroyed all the vines. It was not until the 1950s when the region was replanted and revived by pioneers such as René Barbier. Today there are almost 100 wineries making wine from this small region with approximately 1,800 hectare under vines of which 96% are red. The dominant variety is Cariñena followed by Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Harvest yields are the lowest in Spain resulting in the wines’ concentrated style. Priorat is also known for its black slate soil.
René Barbier