A thrilling Clos Erasmus that I think will be up there with the ’01 (and possibly the ’98) when all is said and done, the 2009 Clos Erasmus Priorat, an old-vine blend of 70% Garnacha and 30% Syrah aged for 22 months in...
A thrilling Clos Erasmus that I think will be up there with the ’01 (and possibly the ’98) when all is said and done, the 2009 Clos Erasmus Priorat, an old-vine blend of 70% Garnacha and 30% Syrah aged for 22 months in barrel, delivers a textbook Erasmus bouquet of jammy raspberry, crème de cassis, cedar, licorice, flowers, dusty minerality, and vanilla that is decadent and exceedingly rich, yet somehow stays vibrant, fresh and delineated at the same time. Already voluptuous and hedonistic on the palate, with layers of fruit, beautiful freshness, and a full-bodied, rich texture, this nevertheless has solid underlying structure that emerges over the evening. Gorgeous all around, this is sublime now, yet deserves 3-4 years of bottle age, and should have upwards of 15 to 20 years of longevity.