The bigger the better when it comes to red wine. I’ve always felt that way, and I probably can’t be reformed. Blame Napa, blame coarse American taste–it is what it is. But I have a burning spot in my heart for reds so thick you can stand a spoon up in them, so potent you have to skip the after-dinner cocktail.
So for years, there I was–pounding Ravenswood Zin in my college apartment, sipping Malbec instead of Lone Star at the barbecue, cruising the back pages of steakhouse menus for a hidden bottle of Amarone in a sea of Burgundies.
And all this time, Grenache has been there. Waving shyly from the bottom shelf of the Côtes du Rhône section, passed up again for something flashier and more voluptuous. I associated Grenache only with cheap blends and chillable rosés. Like the secretly hot best friend in a teen movie, Grenache has been the beauty that no one really notices.
Grenache’s glasses-off moment came for me in 2024, with a trifecta of excellent bottles. (One was a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one was Alto Moncayo, and one was from Priorat. Oh you magical grape, where have you been all my life? Here was a style of wine that was luscious and fruity, but also potent and layered. Excellent with food, but also perfect by itself.
It’s not just me. The “Secret del Priorat” is that the secret is out. These wines have lately been rising in popularity. Low yields combined with an American affinity for bold wines means that prices of premium Grenache/Garnacha are probably this close to getting out of hand. I’m always looking for value–and in this bottle, I found it.
Secret del Priorat beckoned at me from inside a case plopped down at the end of the wine bar. Priced at a modest (for Priorat) 30 bucks, I don’t think half of the bottles even made it to the shelves before they were snapped up by eager drinkers. I made a half-hearted attempt to save this bottle for a special occasion–maybe even lay it down for couple years. But I couldn’t resist it, and I poured it up on a very ordinary Tuesday evening.
This wine smells great. I hate to use the word “seductive”–it’s corny–but this wine draws you in with a display of intense red fruit and herbal aromas. Grenache-based wines often have a signature strawberry-rhubarb pie aroma to my nose, and this one was no exception. Wild strawberry and baked cherry are marinated in a blend of well-integrated spices. Fruit compote and mulled wine. Cinnamon and orange peel. Delicious.
Somewhat surprisingly, this intensely flavored Priorat is only medium in body. At first it felt like a letdown because I was expecting a richer and heavier wine–but I admired the way it made the flavors stand on their own, rather than clinging to the tongue. The strawberry-preserves character eventually recedes to reveal earth and herbs: Brambly blackberry, black tea leaf, dried oregano, and a whiff of smoke. Dried fig, cherry fruit leather and animal leather are intriguing final notes. The 14% alcohol is barely noticeable on the palate and enhances this wine’s impressive aromatic traits.
Secret del Priorat is made by the Familia Torres Winery, which just celebrated their 150th anniversary. Undoubtedly, they have seen many wine trends come and go. With wines such as these–powerful yet nuanced, and an admirable value–we can hope the world’s passion for Priorat is more than just a passing crush.
Bottle: Familia Torres Secret del Priorat (2021)
Variety: Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, aged 12 months in second-fill French oak.
ABV: 14%
Suggested retail: $34.99
My rating: 8.5 (out of 10)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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