Mas de Subirà, Priorat (Catalonia, Spain) 2010

If you didn’t know that this is a Spanish wine from the Priorat region, its meaty, herbal, spicy Mediterranean aromas might lead you think that it is from the South of France.  Despite more than 15 percent alcohol, this wine is not huge in body.  It has lots of flavor, with notes of blackberry and dark plum, and especially non-fruity flavors of earth, black pepper and dried herbs, and its tannins are pleasantly soft.  A blend of Garnacha (60 percent), Carignan (30 percent) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10 percent).