En primeur: Álvaro Palacios 2025

A benchmark fine Priorat from one of the region’s most celebrated pioneers. Álvaro has breathed life and vision into this once-overlooked region, and this is a stunning showcase of Priorat’s rugged terroir. It comes from 12.5ha vineyards, perched on steep terraced slopes across Camp d’en Piqué, Coll de Falstet and La Baixada in the village of Gratallops. Predominantly garnacha with 9% cariñena, and a splash of white grapes (2% picapoll, 1% garnacha blanca and macabeo), it is planted on the famous llicorella soils (a mix of cracked slate and quartz) that give the wine its signature mineral complexity. 2025 marks a return to a fresher style, as cool morning winds on the slopes moderated temperatures and enabled more gradual ripening. The wine is fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts before spending approximately 12-14 months in a mix of foudres and large French barrels. This is set to be a fine, structured and chalky Priorat, with fabulous aromatics and spices on the nose of violets, star anise alongside ripe and abundant raspberry, plum and black cherry fruit. The palate is chalky, mineral and tense with plenty of power and grace, fine but firm tannins and exceptional balance. Be patient with this one if you can. Drink from 2028 to 2038. 14.5%

This is the first time we are releasing this iconic Rioja. We are delighted to offer Álvaro Palacios’ most ambitious wine from the region, and one of the defining wines of the emerging Rioja Oriental renaissance. Sourced from a tiny three-hectare single vineyard on the slopes of Monte Yerga at 620 metres above sea level, it is planted predominantly to garnacha (85%) alongside a field blend of traditional red varieties. The high-altitude site, rich in limestone soils, produces a wine of remarkable finesse and freshness. Fermented with indigenous yeasts, incorporating a proportion of whole bunches and a short maceration of 13 days, the wine is set to be powerful and concentrated with floral aromatics, fine tannins and complexity. Even unfinished (it will be bottled in early 2027), its wild Mediterranean herbs and blue-fruit character are already beautifully expressive, highlighting the remarkable potential of Rioja Oriental and its place among Rioja’s finest terroirs. Drink from 2028 to 2042. 14%

A certified Vi de Vila (village wine), Álvaro’s flagship expression of Priorat from the village of Gratallops is made from 80% garnacha and 20% cariñena, sourced from 12 estate-owned vineyards scattered across this historic and picturesque mountain village. Now in its 22nd vintage, and from a cool year, this is a smart, sleek, structured wine that is clearly made by someone with meticulous attention to detail. The vines, which range from 15 to 70 years old, sit on north- and east-facing slopes to encourage more evening ripening in this hot climate, and all are farmed organically. Fermented with native yeasts and aged in old French barrels, the wine is perfumed and inviting with a bouquet of dried rose, violet and white pepper. Balanced, bright and charming, with firm, polished tannins. There is lavish ripe, bruised strawberry fruit with sweet spice, red liquorice and lots of underlying minerality and energy. We imagine this will be able to be enjoyed immediately on release, but will also continue to open up in time. Drink from 2027 to 2037. 14.5%

Only the third release of this exciting new cuvée, but Quiñón de Valdelareina is certainly justifying its place among the finest expressions of Monte Yerga. Sourced from a tiny 1.4-hectare parcel, that would previously have contributed to La Montesa, it is planted with 90-year-old vines on iron-rich soils over limestone. Like all Álvaro Palacios’ Riojas, the field blend is led by garnacha, complemented by small proportions of moristel, garnacha roya, bobal, vidadillo and white varieties. It is young still and has spent 44 days on its skins before ageing in foudre. It comes across as remarkably poised and, to buyer Harriet Kininmonth’s palate, the most Burgundian of Álvaro's wines, with a savoury, earthy undertone that complements its sappy berry fruit and black olive tapenade flavours. A very fine wine. We thoroughly look forward to seeing how it evolves. Drink from 2028 to 2039. 13%