| Type | Red wine |
|---|---|
| Region | |
| Grapes | |
| Producer | |
| Allergens | Contains sulfites |
| Alcohol contenti | 15.0% |
| Production | 67,000 bottles |
Recommended
Spec sheet
The wine
What could we possibly expect from this superb Priorat winery on producing a wine like Els Pics, and moderately-priced too, except another great wine. An excellent little wine showing Priorat typicality but, above all, boasting the unmistakable ‘Mas Alta’ hallmark, with that warmth and fruit-driven depth and that refinement, quite capable of delighting every type of palate. Els Pics is a powerful yet accessible wine, and a complex one since it amasses fine qualities acquired over the whole production process.
What does this wine taste like?
The wine gleams brightly in the glass, exhibiting an intense cherry colour. It starts off with primary aromas and the pervading warmth of strawberry tart and oven-baked plums; cloaked in the freshness of a fine minerality, notes of liquorice and gunpowder can be discerned. Its 15 degrees of alcohol seem to disappear as if by magic, once it is poured into the glass. On the palate this wine has a considerable amount of body, density and powerfulness, and the longer it spends in the glass, the balance becomes more perfect between its great acidity, the lovely sweetness and the slight bitterness from aromatic plants (thyme) which persists on the finish.
| Light | Bold | |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth | Tannic | |
| Dry | Sweet | |
| Soft | Acidic |
Drinking and storing
The 2023 vintage is now ready to drink. If stored correctly, it will continue to develop for a few more years, until around the end of the decade.
Serve it at 16 to 18 °C. Given its full-bodied character, it benefits from being decanted for a while beforehand.
Serve between 16ºC and 18ºC
Food pairing
Els Pics goes well with red meat and grilled meat. It pairs particularly well with lamb.
Thanks to its full-bodied flavour, it is also a good accompaniment to game dishes, game stews and other braised dishes. You can also serve it with sausages and ham.
Lamb / Strawberry cake / Barbecues / Grilled meats / Venison stew
Ratings and awards
| 2022 | 90 PK | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91 PK | |
| 2020 | 91 PK | |
| 2019 | 90+ PK | 91 PN |
| 2018 | 90 PK | 91 PN |
| 2017 | 91 PN |
PK: ParkerPN: Peñín
Wine critics reviewsReviews by Parker
Customer reviews
Winemaking
Half the ageing time takes place in concrete tanks, while the other half occurs in French oak barrels, with just 10% of them new and the rest being one year (15%), two years (46%) and three years old (30%).
| Vinification material | Cement / Wood |
|---|---|
| Ageing period | 12 months |
| Barrel age | New and sused |
Vineyards
It is a blend of four grape varieties, fundamentally a Garnacha (60%) and Cariñena (25%), with small amounts of Syrah (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%); the grapes come from young vineyards, planted in soils of varied composition (calcareous-clay and slate) and with various orientations.
| Soil | Calcareous-clay / Slate |
|---|---|
| Climate | Continental with Mediterranean influence |
The winery
Bodegas Mas Alta
Mas Alta was founded in the village of La Vilella Alta at the end of the nineties (1999) by two Belgian families (Lambrecht and Vanhoutte), with the technical assistance of Michel Tardieu, the eminent French oenologist. They were neither the first nor will they be the last to come over from other countries and establish themselves in this highly-esteemed Catalan region, enthralled by the exceptional nature of this terroir. Although typically Priorat, Mas Alta wines have always...
