Marco Abella, Priorat (Spain) 2008

The La Mallola Vineyard, 1960 feet high and rich in black slate, is the source of this wine.  Mas Mallola is primarily Garnacha (63 percent), with 20 percent Cariñena, 11 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6 percent Merlot.  It has red fruit aromas and flavors, primarily raspberries and cherries, with some spice; it is aged in second-year French oak barrels for 20 months.  Although now eight years old, Mas Mallola tastes quite young. It can be enjoyed now, with many more years of ageability in its future.