About this WINE
Combier Fischer Gerin Associes
Priorat is located 30 km west of Tarragona in the Spanish province of Catalonia. This wine-growing area lived its golden age in the 19th century, but was slowly abandonned until some twenty years ago, when a group of idealistic vintners (René Barbier, Alvaro Palacio, Louis Perez....) rediscovered its potential.
Carignan, Grenache are the traditional varieties, but more recently also Syrah and some Cabernet have been planted. The vineyards are cultivated on steep slopes between 300 and 600m altitude on slate (Llicorelles). Together with its continental climate (cold nights, hot days) the wines resulting are of unusual power, yet balanced and elegant. Today, the quality of the Priorat wines is renowned all over the world.
Trio Infernal is born by the association of three vintner friends, Laurent Combier ( Crozes Hemitage), Peter Fischer (Provence) and the rising star from Rhone, Jean Michel Gerin (Côte Rotie), who put their know-how and passion together to create a great wine.
Combier Fischer Gerin Associés wines showcase the delights of Priorat's signature grape Garnacha, alongside Carignan and sum up the virtues of contemporary Spanish winemaking; They are Old World in the soul, tradition-bound wines, yet at the same time they are innovative and provocative. They combine the flamboyant, fruit-forward excitement of modern winemaking with the complexity and power of old vines.
Cuvee 2/3 is a rare and unique -for Priorat's standards, 100% old vine Garignan, while Cuvee 1/3 marries the latter with 60% Garnacha.
Grenache/Garnacha
Grenache (Noir) is widely grown and comes in a variety of styles. Believed to originate in Spain, it was, in the late 20th century, the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. Today it hovers around seventh in the pecking order. It tends to produce very fruity, rich wines that can range quite widely in their level of tannin.
In many regions – most famously the Southern Rhône, where it complements Syrah and Mourvèdre, among other grapes – it adds backbone and colour to blends, but some of the most notable Châteauneuf du Pape producers (such as Château Rayas) make 100 percent Grenache wines. The grape is a component in many wines of the Languedoc (where you’ll also find its lighter-coloured forms, Grenache Gris and Blanc) and is responsible for much southern French rosé – taking the lead in most Provence styles.
Found all over Spain as Garnacha Tinta (spelt Garnaxa in Catalonia), the grape variety is increasingly detailed on wine labels there. Along with Tempranillo, it forms the majority of the blend for Rioja’s reds and has been adopted widely in Navarra, where it produces lighter styles of red and rosado (rosé). It can also be found operating under a pseudonym, Cannonau, in Sardinia.
Beyond Europe, Grenache is widely planted in California and Australia, largely thanks to its ability to operate in high temperatures and without much water. Particularly in the Barossa Valley, there are some extraordinary dry-farmed bush vines, some of which are centuries old and produce wines of startling intensity.
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Description
Messrs Combier and Gerin, already well-established in the Northern Rhone, have joined forces with Dutchman Peter Fisher, to explore the schistous terraces of Priorat and the joys of the Garnacha grape. This they have done with considerable aplomb producing a family of wines with real class. The alleged junior cuvée of the three ( the third of which has yet to be made!) the 1/3 is a deeply serious wine, its vines at least forty years old, indeed some of its Cariñena vines approaching centurion status.
Priorat can be so dense and so rich, all a function of fruit rather than oak; that one is sometimes left looking for the elegance, searching for the poetry. The Trio Infernal seems to have got the balance just about right. Although the wine has had extensive barrique ageing, it is the concentration and sheer quality of the fruit which are immediately evident; the initial impressions recall graphite, macerated damson, undergrowth and bitter chocolate. Mediterranean warmth with more than a hint of Catalonian class; this wine will work with richly flavoured dishes; tangine perhaps, or osso buco.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)
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