Home
: 2017 Clos Erasmus "Laurel" Priorat

2017 Clos Erasmus "Laurel" Priorat

SKU #1493047 95 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark The 2017 Laurel is a blend of the younger vines, some barrels that were declassified from Clos Erasmus and the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon, and in the low-yielding and dry 2017 vintage, it's 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 15% alcohol. The wine fermented mostly in concrete and oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in a combination of oak vats, concrete, used barriques and amphorae for 16 months. They produce this to be approachable from the moment it's released. The 2017s feel very aromatic, open, expressive and young, quite primary, tender and juicy and surprisingly fresh for a dry, warm year that resulted in a very early harvest. There is a peachy, soft, approachable quality here that I like very much. Surprisingly enough, winemaker and proprietor Daphne Glorian sees reminiscences of the 2013s in the 2017s, and I have to agree. Different from 2016, but at the same quality level. 19,126 bottles were filled in May 2019. (LG) Inner quote mark (8/2019)

K&L Notes

This cuvée from the iconic Clos Erasmus (one of the founding Priorat group of "Clos") is always a great value and bellwether for the vintage. On the nose, juicy mixed berry and red cherry fruits lead to a fresh and structured palate, with generous and bright fruit flavors. A blend of primarily Garnacha with some Syrah, Laurel is a wine made in a combination of used Burgundy-shaped barrels as well as some components in amphora. Less showy than the producer's "Clos," but a fantastic expression of the Priorat and, to some palates, the tastier and more interesting of the two wines, particularly when young. One of the great Priorats for under $50.

Share |

2017 Clos Erasmus "Laurel" Priorat

Price: $49.99

Quantity:

RP: 95

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is in stock, and has inventory in our warehouse and one or more stores. Below is the current quantity on hand information for this product within our database. It is never more than five minutes old. Additionally, our shopping cart looks at real time inventory so when you add an item to you cart we will do an immediate check of available inventory and alert you if there are any issues.

Location	Qty
Main Warehouse:	2
Hollywood:	9
Redwood City:	6
San Francisco:	2

Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

We think you’ll also like

Product Reviews:

By: Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/29/2020 | Send Email

This is the best wine that I have tasted all summer. It is amazing. It is as pleasurable as a Popsicle on a hot day, a blackberry wild herb and rocks Popsicle! I didn't know I wanted something like that until I tasted this wine. It is simple, yet in a way, complicated, and soulful. I have been listening to the guitar compositions of Albeniz and this harmonizes with them tremendously. This is very textural; it slides across the palate. It is only after how easygoing it is that you start to feel the tannins. The fruit is dark and fresh and wild. Cool yet sun-ripened; fresh berries on a warm evening in the mountains. You cannot forget the subtle herbs, spice, and stony earthiness. Better yet, the wine gets better the longer it is opened. With distance learning in full effect I was able to ration a glass a night this week, and day 5 was better than day one! It is pleasurable and profound. It is definitely the best wine that I have tasted all summer.

By: Chris DePaoli | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 8/26/2020 | Send Email

When it comes to the "Laurel," bottling, if you know, you know; and if you don't know you owe it to yourself to find out. Inching its way into benchmark status, this has always been awesome, and in the last couple years has become world beating. A bit of a chameleon, the juice has a hearty quality to it but isn't massive, with a lean finesse that brings the entirety of a myriad palate to bear without overwhelming. Fresh picked blackberrys, fennel, sage, slate and clay all coiled up to explode out of the glass. Fire.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Grenache

- Fat, ripe and rich with ample fruit and vibrant acidity, wines made from Grenache are easy to love. While its origins are still under dispute - some suggest Spain, where it is called Garnacha, while others say it came first from Sardinia, where it is called Cannonau - it is inarguably one of the most planted varietals in the world. A hearty grape, Grenache does well in hot, dry regions and its sturdy stalk also makes it well-suited to withstand blustery conditions like the Provençal Mistral. It ripens at relatively high sugar levels, which translates to higher potential alcohol in the wines it produces. Grenache may be most famous in the Southern Rhône areas such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas where it has long been an important component of delicious blends. But it's also the source of the crisp rosés from Tavel, Lirac and Provence, and age-worthy vins doux naturels like Rivsaltes and Banyuls. Grenache is also found in large swaths of northeastern Spain, in Navarre, in Rioja, where it plays a supporting role in blends with Tempranillo, and in the distinctive wines of Priorat. The grape was once the most widely planted varietal in Australia, though Shiraz and Cabernet have overtaken it. In California, Grenache plantings have dwindled from their heyday in the San Joaquin Valley, but it is starting to see a resurgence, albeit in smaller plantings, where other Rhône varietals thrive.

Country:

Spain

- With more land under vine than any other country in the world, Spain is the great sleeping wine giant. In recent years, a great deal of money and passion has been poured in the burgeoning Spanish wine industry, helping to improve quality among its vast array of wines from sparkling Cava to Sherry to Rioja Gran Reserva. The most important red-wine-producing regions are Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Navarra in the north and Priorat and Penedes in the northeast.

Sub-Region:

2017 Clos Erasmus "Laurel" Priorat

2017 Clos Erasmus "Laurel" Priorat

Real Time Inventory by location:

We think you’ll also like

Product Reviews:

Additional Information:

Grenache

Spain

Priorato