Predicat Cellers Grifoll Declara 2021

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 I know that this is a more than recurrent theme in this blog but, somehow, I have no way to go around it. 

Literature and wine. 

How can literature influence you at the time you are about to decide what to drink?

Wanting a wine to accompany a stew to inaugurate the end of the summer around here I went to my basement and made a selection of three wines that could accompany it. It is, for me, not uncommon to make a pre-selection of wines, bring them up to my apartment and see how a certain dish is developing, ending up making the final decision in a more emotional way where the doors to my unknown hidden wishes are opened. 

Right, this must have been too much, but it is just how I feel about it. 

As soon as I have got home, I have put  a Ribera del Duero Crianza, a Monastrell from Jumilla and this Priorat that was the chosen one to be open on the table.

Only Spanish wines, I immediately thought .

Not having that many Spanish wines in my private collection I could not cease to wonder about my decision, specially taking in account that I am also in the possession of a couple of Portuguese and French  wines which could have also fulfilled the task. 

Then it became clear to me that the fact that I am currently reading Aramburu's The Swifts  may have conditioned my selection of wines.  

But can it be that the diary of a teacher who decides to commit suicide in a year's time has conditioned my wine choice for the evening?

Set in Madrid, sure is that it has arisen in me an almost existential wish of eating callos and/or fried fish with a fresh sip of lemon juice.  Following this very personal logic I would be not surprised at all that it has played a decisive role in the choice of the wine.

Going to the wine, I have to admit that it is always nice to go back to drinking Priorat wines due to its intensive minerality that generally offers tremendous freshness to the dominant Garnacha cuvées. Just like what happens here. 

The iron taste allied to some mediterranean herbs that dominate this wine grants it the perfect depth not only to accompany stews but also some lighter dishes with a mediterranean touch. Its red fruits are not too ostensive but elegantly present. 

In fact, it matches perfectly the sarcastic narrative built by Aramburu that has me tied this last week. 

And the most important of all: now planning to have some fried fish for dinner, I am already looking forward to some Xarello that I have just put in the fridge. 

 

15/20
Country: Spain
Region: Priorat
Grapes: Garnacha, Carignan, Merlot

14%
Winemaker: Roger Grifoll Declara
 Website: https://cgrifolldeclara.com/predicat/

 

Location: Hamburg, Germany

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