13% abv; Carignan & Garnacha. Quite deep colour for rosé. Very sweet aromas of strawberry. Despite plentiful structure and concentration the fruit is rather too sweet and I feel that this would be better in a less concentrated, more refreshing version. But I know that some prefer their rosé in a meaty, thick style and this will work for them.
2009 Franck Massard Priorat Humilitat - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (9/2/2011)
14,5% abv; 60% Garnacha, 40% Cariñena. It's not often that I can say that I like a Priorat, but I did quite enjoy this one! The first great positive was that I didn't smell any oak (only 30% of the wine is aged in oak, and only a small bit of that 30% is new oak); the second positive was that though obviously ripe, I didn't smell any over-ripeness or raisiny character. Instead it had ripe dark berries and minerality and wet earth on the nose. The palate was, of course, big and sweetly fruity, but it wasn't oversized and it had perfectly adequate acidity and grip to keep the wine moreish. Very nice.
2009 Dit Celler Montsant Cabirol Negre - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (9/2/2011)
14,5% abv. Smells of new French oak in its toffee incarnation. Tastes of ripe, dark fruit and hot chocolate. I'll pass.