Located in a Spanish mountainous area of Catalonia, west of Barcelona, the official growing region of “Priorat” is the result of tenacious innovation in winemaking. Thanks to a never-give-up attitude, wines from this ancient growing region are now world class. Given the work that went into registering this appellation as an official “Denominacio”, it’s a privilege to be able to taste their wines on a budget.
One of their well established producers, “Chapillon” has blended a wine called “Revés” (meaning “reverse”). Presumably it is called this because the percentages of Carignan and Garnacha are done in reverse of the traditional concentrations. For this wine, there is more Carignan than Garnacha by about 5 points and with about 25% Syrah thrown into the mix.
Just by tasting, who knows what difference reversing the proportions of a couple grapes makes, but for sure, this wine has character. In some distorted way, this deep red wine starts off like an Oregon Pinot and finishes like a Beaujolais! What a perfect pick for a blind tasting. If anybody gets it right, give out a prize and declare that genius “Oenophile of the Year.”
With a bouquet of red cherries, mushrooms, and traces of pineapple, the Pinot impression begins to build. Then, you’re hit with the raspberries, very interesting. It finishes off fruity with a little wood. Quickly, the fruit seems to vanish in a show of light acidity and white pepper. It just keeps begging for another sip to make it believable. Maybe it’s the “reverse” in action. It’s definitely a point of conversation for a wine get together.
Revés does not seem to work well with spicy marinara pasta dishes. But with creamy garlic Northern Italian pasta or a fried pork chop, you’re on. Don’t pair it with foods that call for a big red wine’s finish.
Pick up some 2006 Revés at Trader Joe’s for $9.99 or less. It’s a very different budget wine, for sure.
Serve after 20 minutes in the fridge (about 65 degrees). At over 5 years old, this wine is mellowing due to age but it could keep getting better for a few more years.
Article by Tom Peiffer, Phoenix Wine Shopping Examiner at Examiner.com
View more of Tom’s articles on Examiner.com by visiting his writer’s page.
