Ferrer Bobet
Vinyes Velles 2019
Priorat, Spain
Ferrer Bobet’s Vinyes Velles is an old vine blend of Carignane (86%) and Grenache (14%). It’s produced from some of the best steep slate hillside and terraced vineyards in Priorat. Though the “second wine” of Ferrer Bobet, the initial 2005 release put Ferrer Bobet on the wine world map. Two of the most important publications in Spain named it their wine of the year, and accolades came pouring in from Russia, the UK and the US. It launched the Ferrer Bobet mission of creating wines of elegance and purity, and the message has resonated.
VINEYARD
The vineyards are managed in a way fundamental to the philosophy of Ferrer Bobet: the development of a strict organic viticulture which completely excludes the use of insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.
The grapes grow on vineyard sites with steep terraces and hillsides. Grapes are picked by hand and placed into small 10kg bins. Berry by berry selection takes place on a double sorting table and the grapes are then transferred to tanks by gravity.
WINEMAKING
Fermentation takes place in 15 and 30 Hl wooden and stainless steel tanks, with malolactic fermentation and aging in fine-grained, lightly toasted new French oak barrels for 16 months. Bottling is unfined and unfiltered, and the wine is bottle aged for a minimum of 11 months.
VINTAGE
Higher volumes blessed Catalunya in 2018, and while it couldn’t be described as a cool year, some producers in Priorat describe slower ripening with great natural balance of acidity and flavor, and marginally lower alcohols.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Carignane, Grenache
Appellation
Priorat, Spain
Alcohol
14.5%
Suggested Retail Price
$80.00
Reviews
"Immediately powerful and zesty"
Wine & Spirits - July 24, 2023 "Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet built their gravity-flow winery in Porrera, where they planted 70 acres of vines on steep terraces in 2004 and 2005, organically farmed in the midst of their 172-acre estate. For their Vinyes Velles, they work with local growers who tend centenarian vines of carinyena and garnatxa negra, offering a 2019 that is immediately powerful and zesty. “It’s just the pow!” said Nacho Monclús of this wine when it was first poured, but a day later it was much more than just power, with an intriguingly bloody scent of carignan. The lean, austere tannins are haunted by cherries, the tannins holding that fruit with a gentleness that takes all the extract back a notch, the fragrant red fruit lasting with an elegance that implies a long life ahead." -J.G 10/22
"Cassis, boysenberry, violet"
Wine Spectator - July 24, 2023 "A sleek, finely meshed red bearing a dark purple hue, with a mix of cassis, boysenberry, violet and espresso notes expanding on the palate and framed by supple tannins. Long and lightly mouthwatering, this is a well-tailored version, with ripe fruit and abundant herbs and spice lingering on the finish. Carignan and Grenache." -A.N 10/22
Reviews
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Priorat
Priorat, Spain
Ferrer Bobet Priorat is the second vintage of a Priorat produced primarily from Ferrer Bobet’s own vineyards. It fulfills the vision of elegance, freshness and detail that were the reasons for starting the estate. It is a Carignan based blend, based on low vigor and high quality rootstocks and clones, aiming for perfectly balanced vines.
Selecció Especial
Selecció Especial Vinyes Velles is 100% Carignane from hundred year old vines in some of the best vineyards in Priorat, in one of the coolest, steepest and highest elevations of the appellation, factors which contribute to optimal phenolic ripeness and help preserve flavors and acidity. A wine of truly profound fruit and minerality.