2024 Mas Doix ‘Les Crestes’ Priorat; Old Vines, Slate Soils, Outstanding Value
Priorat is famous for its steep, rugged vineyards, low yields, and intensely expressive wines. Also they are usually known for steep, rugged price tags. Those factors often translate into premium prices, which makes Les Crestes such a value. This is a wine that delivers authentic Priorat character without getting into those steep prices. .
The blend is classic Priorat: predominantly Garnacha (80%), supported by Cariñena (10%) and Syrah (10%). Garnacha provides the wine's generous core of ripe red and black fruit, while Cariñena contributes freshness, structure, and the savory mineral backbone that has made Priorat famous. The small addition of Syrah adds spice, depth, and texture, resulting in a wine that is both approachable and unmistakably rooted in its origin.
The fruit comes from vineyards planted on Priorat's iconic llicorella slate soils, with vines ranging from 10 to 25 years of age. These mature vineyards offer the ideal balance between concentration and vibrancy, producing wines with depth and complexity while retaining freshness and energy.
The goal is not to impose a style, but to preserve what nature provides: the fruitiness, freshness, minerality, and salinity that define Priorat's llicorella soils. Concentration and varietal expression remain central to every wine they produce, creating bottles that speak clearly of their origin. That’s the freshness that is missing from wines just outside Priorat, lacking the all important llicorella soil.
The 2024 vintage itself tells an interesting story. According to the estate, this is the first year in which the effects of the region's prolonged drought became truly apparent. Fortunately, rains arrived in early September, accompanied by cooler temperatures that slowed ripening and allowed the red varieties to develop gradually and evenly. The resulting wine is exactly what the winery hoped to achieve. As Mas Doix describes it, "Les Crestes 2024 is lush on the nose and full of fruit at the right point of ripeness. On the palate it is sweet and concentrated, but without weight, just the way we like it."
That description perfectly captures the appeal of this wine. Expect vibrant aromas of blackberry, plum, wild herbs, and crushed slate, followed by a palate that combines richness and concentration with freshness and lift. The fruit is generous but never overripe, the texture is polished without being heavy, and the distinctive mineral character of Priorat carries through the finish. Drink up.
92 Points, Guia Penin
Colour, bright cherry, purple rim. Aroma, balanced, expressive, neat, ripe fruit, wild herbs. Flavour, polished, juicy, easy to drink, fruity aftertaste.