Coca i Fito Volats Priorat 2018

Priorat is making some of our favorite Spanish wines anywhere right now....old vines, high elevation, Mediterranean climate, with mineral-driven soils – the opportunity for unique, complex, and flat-out spectacular wines is all there, and Coca i Fitó has hit the mark on this 94-POINT stunner!

Coca i Fitó is an innovative winery run by two brothers, Toni and Miquel Coca i Fitó. Toni is a winemaker born and bred, whereas Miquel was a cook, who took to wine later on in life. Together, they are tirelessly crafting some of the most exciting wines in the forgotten regions of Spain – using sustainably-farmed grapes, thoughtful methods, and precise blending to create a style completely their own.

This high-toned, mineral-driven, and powerful red blend focuses on 50% grenache and 35% carignan – with complementary roles of 10% syrah and 5% cabernet sauvignon from some old vine sites (up to 75 years old) grown on the llicorella slate soils of Gratallops and La Vilella Alta in Priorat.

Twelve months of aging in French and American oak barrels provides weight – anchoring and balancing the mineral harmony supplied by the llicorella backbone, along with myriad spice, delicate hibiscus, and lilac florals, plus ripe red berry fruits with roasted, earthy, and herbal notes that are so definitively Priorat. The wine, above all else, excels with a pure, vibrant freshness that grants a seductive elegance to an otherwise structured and powerful wine. This is a treat not to be missed, especially at $24.95! Buy a handful and watch it thrive over the years!

PAIRING IDEAS: With the high tones and mineral edge, I’m craving something slightly rustic, but delicately elegant...this rack of lamb with a pistachio crust should be the perfect fit.