1998 Clos Erasmus Priorat

Dry finish. Notes of balsamic. The grapes were apparently beautiful but it doesn’t seem as well balanced as some. (JR)

Truly otherworldly, the 1998 Clos Erasmus Priorat is hands down the top Spanish wine I’ve ever tasted. It starts off with a seriously rich, decadent bouquet of cassis and blackberry fruit that’s intermixed with baking spices, vanilla, mineral, meat, garrigue, leather and…. who knows what else. In short, the bouquet is absolutely captivating and if I could, I’d bottle it and smear it on my neck every morning. The palate is full bodied with pure, rich fruit, perfect balance, a soft yet precise texture and a crazy long finish. Still young and vibrant, this bottle was a pop and pour followed throughout the evening. If you can, buy this wine.

The spectacular 1998 flirts with perfection. A saturated opaque blue/purple color is not dissimilar from ink. Dazzling aromas of ripe, pure blackberries, violets, blueberries, wet stones, and smoky, toasty oak soar from the glass. Powerful, with an unctuous texture, and super-extracted, rich, concentrated flavors, this blockbuster effort boasts extravagant quantities of fruit, glycerin, extract, tannin, and personality. The wine displays a firm, structured edge, but a viscous texture from super concentration gives it immediate accessibility. This 1998 should hit its plateau of maturity in 7-8 years, and is a strong candidate for 20-30 years of aging. It is a winemaking tour de force. ERIC SOLOMON, EUROPEAN CELLARS, 236 West 27 St., Room 801, New York, NY 10001; tel. (212) 924-4949; fax (212) 924-0567