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99
/ 100
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99
/ 100
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97
/ 100
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97
/ 100
Tasting Notes
The best wines defy color and style in pursuit of provenance. And when those origins are Les Manyes, one need not ask why. Situated at the top of a monastery in the village of Scala Dei, 800 meters up the high slopes of the Montsant mountains, the west-facing Grand Cru vineyard of Les Manyes is a universe unto itself. The Garnacha Peluda (literally: Hairy Grenache) vines that grow there are a rare variant of the region’s more popular Garnacha Tinta. They are equipped with a fine downy fuzz on the underside of their leaves that conserves moisture in the blazing heat – allowing them to thrive even in this hot and challenging climate. Lower sugar levels also mean lower alcohol levels, lending an unmistakable brightness and elegance to enhance the depth and concentration. The distinctive chalk-rich clay soils mark the Garnacha fruit with a minerality, structure and elegance that could only ever be one place, one time, one wine. The grapes are hand harvested, whole cluster fermented, and then aged for 8 months in cement. The jewel of the Terroir al Límit flagship Range, Les Manyes is one of the elusive 100-parker-point wines (2016). Each iconic pour weaves a rich and complex web of smoke and stone, fragrant black cherry brilliance and savory mountain herbs; a delicate bitterness settles like a cool morning fog over the whole, lending structure, shape and an elegant expression, both now and for a long, lovely future to come.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity
Classification: Red
Variety: Grenache
Vintage: 2021
Bottle Size: 750ml (Bottle)
Country: Spain
Region: Priorat,
Alcohol %: 13.5%
Cellaring: Ready, but will Keep
Scores
99 / 100"An epiphany here with its wild, tangy nose full of white pepper, mezcal, blood oranges, forest floor and dried herbs. Really broad and precise, with a chunk of fine, mealy tannins that knit seamlessly on the palate. Nice bitterness at the end to seal it up before an extremely long, nervy finish. Pure garnacha peluda from Les Manyes vineyard. It goes on and on. 3506 bottles. Irresistibly attractive now, but can hold."
- James Suckling
99 / 100
"-- Tim Atkin: I'm not sure Garnacha gets much better than this. A light layer of smoky reduction gives way to reveal superbly detailed, vivid flavours of earthy strawberries, rose petals, wild herbs, crushed rocks and anis. There's restraint to the palate but encouraged by a quiet force, constantly moving the wine onwards, across taut, etched tannins that crumble into powder as they settle. Incredible freshness and persistence, with a finish that never seems to end. A stunning, moving wine that deserves every applause it receives. Bravo! 2024-2030 99/100"
- Tim Atkin MW
97 / 100
"Colour: Bright cherry, purple rim Aroma: Fruit expression, ripe fruit, red berry notes, rose petals, violets, cocoa bean, sweet spices, expressive, characterful Flavour: Fruity, fresh, flavourful, balanced, long, fine tannins"
- Guia Penin
97 / 100
"The impressive 2021 Les Manyes was very young and a little closed, even reductive and took time in the glass to take off. It slowly developed an acute note of violets and wild plants. It has a little more color than the 2019, but the maceration was more or less the same, so it must be from the year. It's very attractive, juicy and easy to drink, with notes that made me think of Château Rayas. It's fresher than the 2019 I tasted next to it. It's elegant and fruit-driven, right now very young, and it still doesn't have the complexity that it should gain over time. 2,688 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2022. - Luis Gutiérrez"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
