Pasanau La Morera Priorat 2001

A deep hauntingly complex wine, the 2001 Pasanau La Morera is classic Priorat. This youthful red is wrapped in a deep noble robe that appears profound and impenetrable. Its aroma unfolds slowly, almost imperceptibly, until the enticement is complete: a combination of black fruits, angostura, and oriental spice tantalize the nose. Suave and sophisticated, the 2001 La Morera is velvety smooth on the palate – at least initially. Only after holding it in the mouth for a few seconds does one realize just quite how packed this great Priorat is and just how much promise it affords the patient taster. The product of a great vintage in Spain, the 2001 La Morera embodies a near perfect balance between fruit and tannin, extract and charm. Layered and urbane, all of this wine’s up front appeal lies wrapped around a ripe complex core of sophisticated flavors. All of this bodes well for future cellaring and provides a boon to those looking to lay down a few bottles for that special meal or occasion. Patience is the key to the ultimate enjoyment of nearly all great wines, so either allow the 2001 La Morera a little more time in bottle or open it at least an hour before serving and permit it to unfold gracefully in a cool, clean decanter.

Complex sophisticated wines call for food, but not just any old morsel will do. The finest cuts of meat, a complex sauce, or simple fare made from the very freshest ingredients are the hallmark of great food and wine pairings, especially in the case of the 2001 Pasanau La Morera where the wine’s pedigree is above reproach. Roast Leg of Tender Spring Lamb, Chateaubriand, or Loin Veal Chops, served with shitake mushrooms and an herb rice pilaf, are just a few of our favorite selections with the La Morera. Roasted Quail, stuffed with apple-smoked bacon and mushrooms, served over a corn based risotto, makes for another tasty suggestion. Truly, it is not so much what one serves with the La Morera that matters most, providing the dish is not too spicy, but the quality of the ingredients used. Enjoy!

During the past decade, the Pasanau family and their beloved Priorat have achieved international fame. Priorat is currently Spain’s most glamorous wine producing region, fashioning more than mere hand full of sensational wines. And at the forefront of Priorat’s viticultural renaissance is the Pasanau family. Pasanau commands the high ground in Priorat, literally and figuratively. At over 2, 400 feet, Pasanau’s Finca La Planeta, which is devoted entirely to Cabernet Sauvignon, dominates Priorat’s arid, landscape. Planted on gravely scree and slate, this 12.5-acre vineyard yields, perhaps, the most intense of all Priorat wines. In addition to Finca La Planeta, the Pasanau estate includes equally impressive parcels of ancient, ungrafted Garnacha and Mazuelo vines, which are crafted into La Morera – a more traditional Priorat style of wine than Finca La Planeta. More recently, Pasanau has released Ceps Nous, a delicious light red Priorat, comprised primarily of the estate’s traditional Garnacha (Grenache) and Mazuelo, along with a healthy dollop Merlot and Syrah from young vines. Small amounts of excellent Viognier are also crafted at this great property. Working out of a small modern bodega that was completed in 1995, Pasanau fashions three of Spain’s most compelling wines. Here, grapes are routinely picked quite late, often not until late October, in order to extract the greatest intensity from each low yielding vine. All tanks are gravity fed and racking and fining are done only during a full moon, using all natural ingredients, which says a little something about this estate’s commitment to excellence as well as tradition.