En Numeros Vermells... Ai Ai Ai Negre Priorat Spain 2019 MAGNUM

“AiAiAi” is the kind of thing you say with a smile when something surprising happens.  Like all of Silvia’s ENV wines, this comes from organically farmed vineyards on the steep slopes of Catalunya’s Priorat region. The Garnacha Negra (about half the blend), Careinyena, Syrah, Merlot and Garnacha Peluda (aka “Hairy Grenache) are harvested by hand, crushed gently, and fermented separately before aging in barrel.  When ready, Silvia creates a perfect blend and bottles her tiny production – just 200 or so cases made and half that available for the entire USA.  ONLY 100 magnums made each year.

Aromas of concentrated blueberry, black olives, chocolate, high notes of dark cherry, wild strawberry, black pepper, laurel, a mixture of wild herbs both fresh and dried, Mediterranean pine, the smell of warm rocks that are radiating heat, combined with great expression of slate, basically the essence of Priorat terroir, it has the characteristics of a single Quinta vintage port without the sweetness nor alcohol.

On the palate the wine is very compact, showing lots of power, intense flavors of super concentrated wild berries, herbs, licorice, black olives, sweet spice, and faint marzipan.

It comes across having great viscosity, with lots of volume and presenting itself as a “Big” wine, showing you how serious a bottle of wine this is, a true Gran Vino or Gran Vi.