Reprieving DO Montsant of Priorat copy-cat status

Can Blau Montsant(2006)
Cellars Can Blau
40% Mazuelo (Carignan) | 40% Syrah | 20% Garnacha (Grenache)
DO Montsant, Spain

Spain's system of classifying wine regions isn't as old as France's, however it can sometimes be just as confusing. Denominacíon de Origen (DO) laws were first enacted in 1932 and revised in 1970. It wasn't until 1996 that the country established the current tiered system of quality wines produced in specified regions (QWPSR for you fellow wine nerds) in line with EU policy. Even more recently, there have been two additional levels created - Denominacíon de Origen Calificada (DOC) and Denominacíon de Pago. Within the former there are only two regions which have achieved this status - Rioj a and Priorat known for wines made from Tempranillo and Garnacha respectively.


With all that in mind, there is an even more specified region of Montsant, a DO which almost completely surrounds the Priorat DOC. Prior to being established as it's own DO, Montsant was considered generically as Tarragona, and to an extent as a lower quality Priorat clone, riding on the famous DOC's coat tails. Now I'm no expert on this region, though Ryan and Gabriella Opaz - two awesome expats living near Barcelona and owners of CataVino - recently put together an amazing in depth look of Montsant that shows it's anything but a copy cat. You can check it out at http://catavino.net/montsant/. This is about as good as it gets without visiting Spain for yourself.

While we're all eager to do that, in the meantime I was inspired to seek out a Montsant wine and give it a whirl. Finding a bottle wasn't hard, though it was a bottle - singular. There's definitely not a huge Montsant selection in Cleveland. A blend of 40% Mazuelo (known to the rest of the world as Carignan amongst other names), 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha this wine certainly will guarantee interesting character. These grapes are popular in many a blend from the Rhône and southern France, so I'm anxious for a good load of earth, leather, spice, and fruit.

Appearance: A clear wine with medium plus intensity - not inky but certainly deeper, similar to Cabernet. Ruby in color, the epitome of what a red wine looks like. Red, red, red.

Nose: Medium intensity nose, not bursting out of the glass. First aromas remind me of earth, clay, and terra cotta pots. Good terroir, and not unctuously fruity. Vegetal characteristics follow, black pepper, anise, and spice. Deeper in the fruit starts to reveal itself as the wine opens in the glass with blackberry, black cherry, and really ripe strawberry. Very subtle hints of chocolate and leather make this a very cool, complex wine.

Palate: Dry with medium plus tannins, body, and acidity. This wine is certainly a mouthful, and there's a lot going on. Flavors similar to the aromas of chocolate, black cherry, and spice there are also hints of raspberry and plum. Oak is obvious, but well integrated, and it leaves an almond/walnut like feeling during the lengthy finish.

As I hoped, the Can Blau certainly reminded me of a Rhône blend, but given the Spanish tradition of long oak aging the wine also offered that nutty complexity. While the nose on this bottle seemed much more complex than the palate, I would definitely recommend pairing it up with some good Spanish cheese or a traditional morcilla, Spanish for blood sausage - and much tastier than you'd imagine. Though if a pork chop is more in your comfort zone, order morcillo. Regardless this is a great food wine.

Overall I'm really grooving on this wine, and am completely jealous of the lucky CataVino duo who got to roll around in Montsant wine, food, and culture. If a trip to Spain isn't in your immediate future, a bottle of Can Blau certainly can't hurt to help you understand what makes Montsant special.

Cheers!