Celler Cecilio - Gratallops Black Slate 2022
Price: $29.99
| Producer | Celler Cecilio |
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| Country | Spain |
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| Region | Priorat |
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| Varietal | Grenache Blend |
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| Vintage | 2022 |
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| Sku | 10522 |
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| Size | 750ml |
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Priorat is a region located in the rugged mountains of northeastern Spain. Priorat exploded on the wine seen in the late 1980s, early 1990s, combining their old vines Garnacha and Carinena (Grenache and Carignan) with the unique llicorella soil to produce massive, rich, sumptuous reds. Quality… and prices… have been skyrocketing since.
Yet Priorat today is at a crossroads. With all the success, and dollars, came a certain drive towards uniformity – the region is terribly small, and in modern times, not very flourishing – so old farmers and families sought the quick buck. Duplicate the style of the most famous Priorat and don’t ask questions!
But now, there is a dilemma. “Right now Priorat is struggling. It was the king of powerful, concentrated wines, but the style seems to be slowly losing ground and interest from consumers. If you are part of a fashion, sooner or later your time will end, as all fashions come and go. And after it goes, where do you go?” poses Luis Guitierrez of the Wine Advocate.
Thanks to the famed llicorella soil, which is quick to warm and retains heat well, the region will always produce ripe, rich wines. So how does one respect the soil that made the region so famous, while considering evolving tastes?
For many, this involves replanting the “international” varieties that helped propel Priorat to glory – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The more indigenous Garnacha, and especially Carinena, are better suited to handling the heat of the llicorella soil without achieving excessively high alcohol. Larger volume oak barrels and less use of oak in general also add to a more elegant styling. And, as producers move towards more sustainable agriculture, be it organic or biodynamic, with little use of fertilizers, winemakers are finding their grapes are able to achieve full ripeness – but again, without excessively high alcohol. Finally, many are now using indigenous, natural yeasts, which are less effective than selected yeasts, meaning they use more sugar to obtain one degree of alcohol.
Don’t be confused by all of this – Priorat is still king of rich, luscious, dense wines. But they are now achieving a balance at 14.5-15% alcohol… instead of 16.5% and beyond!
Okay… so what about this wine in particular? The Black Slate project was started by importer Eric Solomon. He has selected wineries from all over Priorat to highlight their own interpretation of the famed “Black Slate” soil – aka licorella. Celler Cecilio is located in Gratallops, in the heart of Priorat, and was the first winery registered in the D.O.Ca. It is a family estate dedicated to making and bottling wine since 1942, established and founded by Cecilio Vicent, father of the current owner and winemaker, August. When Cecilio, a native of Valencia, settled in the Priorat, he met and married into a family with many hectares of vineyards. At that time these vineyards had been neglected so Cecilio set about restoring them first selling his grapes to the local cooperative while studying winemaking. Finally in 1942 he began bottling his own wines in a small stable he renovated into a cellar which is still in operation today under the stewardship of his son August Vicent. Luckily, he is a neighbor of importer Eric Solomon, so when the opportunity to make a Black Slate from his vines arose, Eric jumped!
Simply stunning, this baby is at home with simple, hearty food, like lamb grilled simply with rosemary, salt and pepper. As the weather turns colder, this is absolutely amazing with comfort dishes – braised rabbit with olives, roast pork shoulder, braised short ribs, etc. Hmm…
Wine Advocate: 90 Points
"The 2022 Black Slate Gratallops was produced with Cariñena, Garnacha and Syrah from Gratallops that fermented separately with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel at low temperature to keep the fruit. Only 20% of the volume matured in used French oak barrels for 14 months, while the rest was kept in stainless steel. It has 14.46% alcohol and 5.1 grams of acidity. The nose is showy and a bit spirity (it makes me think of a Port!) with notes of ripe berries in liqueur. It has some dusty tannins with some earthy notes and a dry finish. 22,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2023.”
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