2018 Partida Pedrer Rosat - a remarkable, rare and distinctive rosé

April 22, 2021

2018 Partida Pedrer Rosat, Sara I Rene Viticultors

£145 per 6 bottle case in bond
£190.08 per 6 bottle case including delivery and VAT

I promised that we were due to offer a very special rosé, completely new to Atlas and here it is; 2018 Partida Pedrer Rosat and I very much doubt you have ever heard of it. Without question, I would say it is one of the most fascinating rosé I have ever tasted – it is both distinctive and high-class. So where is it from you might ask? The answer is relatively surprising too, for I have never tasted a Priorat rosé before, but that is what we have here.

The wine is produced by René Barbier (the fourth generation of his family to have that name!) and Sara Perez. René’s family own Clos Mogador, regarded among the finest Priorat estates, and Sara Perez’s family own another great name in the region, Mas Martinet. Together, they started this new project in 2001 when they purchased a small vineyard called El Bellvisos (Bella Vista – beautiful view). This remarkably steep sloping vineyard had been neglected for over 40 years, yet it was well-situated and offered significant potential. As the couple comment ‘there are no neighbours due to the steep slopes surrounding it: not even the most valiant would plant a vineyard here!’. René and Sara’s aim has always been to produce a wine that was at one with nature, and a vineyard that had not witnessed any chemical usage for such a long period provided just the opportunity. From the outset, both René and Sara have sought to produce wines from organically grown fruit with as little intervention as possible. This is an admirable approach and can at times prove very challenging, but from the few lines above you no doubt get the impression that these two will not shirk a challenge! The challenge with this plot was that the soil had not been broken up to make new terraces; It took a lot of effort to address soil erosion, low biodiversity and loss of soil structure. Most of this was addressed by hand ploughing or using a mule as well as embracing aspects of biodynaminc viticulture.

A word on Priorat
To anyone new to Priorat, it is a region rich in history situated in the province of Taragona. It offers a range of different microclimates and soil structures on account of its steep, sloping vineyards that range from 100 to 700 metres in altitude. Many of its vineyards are craggy escarpments or terraced vineyards in separate mountain valleys. The name ‘Priorato’ means priory and legend has it that a shepherd boy awoke to see angels descending from a celestial ladder. He told a priest about his vision and in 1163 an order of Carthusian monks founded the ‘Priorato de Scala Dei’, literally the ‘Priory of the Stairway to God’. Today the Cellers de Scala Dei is a producer based in the old priory cellars! Modern day Priorat incorporates 11 different small villages and extends over just 2,000 hectares. The wines of the region gain their distinctive character on account of the topography and the schistous soils that dominate; schist is well-suited to vines (think of the famous Port vineyards of the Douro). The vine is able to sink its roots deep into the soil accessing rainwater stored underground to see the vines through a hot Mediterranean summer. The most famous soils of the region are called 'llicorella', where you find alternating layers of slate and quartzite making a black/gold tiger skin pattern, just as found in the Pedrer Partida vineyard. Yields are naturally low in Priorat making for intense wines.

Back to Partida Pedrer
This is a natural wine, meaning no sulphur dioxide was used in the winemaking. Sulphur works to protect a wine against oxidation and also possesses anti-bacterial benefits among other properties. It takes skill and dedication to produce clean, pure natural wines. A whole host of natural wines that I have tasted have exhibited faults, but this need not always be the case. René and Sara just happen to make their wine that way; they aren’t looking for a badge.

The Pedrer vineyard is planted largely with Garnatxa (Grenache) and Monastrell (Mourvèdre) – the latter is not at all common in Priorat, but is readily found in the Southern Rhône and the south of France, notably in Bandol. Monastrell works well with Garnatxa– lending a little more complexity, structure and alleviating the natural alcoholic strength of Grenache in the blend.

This distinctive rosé is just outstanding. The winemaking decisions – the use of Monastrell alongside Garnatxa, indigenous yeast, slow fermentation in old, large oak barrels – all creates a remarkably complex end result. Given that production is tiny, just 1,750 bottles, I am so pleased to have acquired a good allocation for Atlas clients. Without getting carried away, this is one of those wines that adds to the joy of being a wine buyer…so individual and remarkably fine. A real find.

I include my note below – seldom do I write such lengthy notes on rosé. I also include Luis Gutiérrez’s note from robertparker.com, seldom does he award 94 points to a rosé.

2018 Partida Pedrer Rosat, Sara I Rene Viticultors
£145 per 6 bottle case in bond

Very pale in hue, slight orange tone, the aromas suggest hints of wild hedgerow fruit, all understated, with a gentle creamy, leesy note of complexity that makes me think of vintage Champagne. There is certain scented floral quality too. On the palate, you could easily forget this was a rosé as it boasts a striking complexity – discreet notes of juicy summer berry fruit are allied to herbs and spice, but nothing is overstated. Priorat is not noted for high acidity but this remains fresh, focused and lively, but once more the mineral acidity is beautifully integrated. There is no lack of energy. Nothing jars here at all; the palate has a silky sense of depth, mouthwatering, intense, yet not heavy in any way. And then to the finish a certain zesty blood orange note provides a citrus burst that leads to a long, positive finish. Simply put, this strikes an outstanding balance – a distinctive, dry rosé with real intrigue. Subtle and incredibly classy. I would be fascinated to see how this would age. Drink: Now to 2025+ (SL)

94 points, Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com
A wine that transcends its color, the 2018 Partida Pedrer Rosat wants to show the freshness of a shadowed place without any interference of skins or any additive. This vineyard has Garnacha, Monastrell and Cariñena and was planted 20 years ago on north-facing terraces of llicorella slate, and it is also produced in red. All of the grapes were picked at the same time and pressed directly, and the juice fermented in well-seasoned, neutral 300- and 600-liter barrels where it fermented with indigenous yeasts for six months and then was bottled when the fermentation in was over. It has 13.5% alcohol and very high acidity and is vibrant and fresh, with deep flavors of herbs and spices. Like many of their wines, this also has a notable absence of fruit, with an aromatic profile clearly closer to a white. The idea is to bottle without any added sulfur, but the wine is clean, precise, mineral, long and tasty. Amazing rosé. René Barbier told me this wine has the highest acidity of all the wines he's ever made in Priorat. 1,750 bottles were filled in July 2019. Drink 2020-2027.

Please let us know of your interest. The wine is in stock and available for delivery from Monday.

All the best,

Simon

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Top tips and conclusions from the Atlas Big Barolo Bash

After our Big Barolo Bash held at Salisbury House, EC2M, on Wednesday 4th December 2024, I thought I would share a few thoughts as it is not often that you get the chance to compare 42 different Barolo spanning vintage 2011 to 2019.The wines shown were grouped by vintage rather than by grower. The aim was to encourage an understanding of vintage characteristics. We also felt this would spare clients the significant challenge of moving from a softer, lighter vintage to a richer, more tannic one and then back again in a repeated cycle through all producers. Deciding on a tasting order is never easy, even more so with a variety like Nebbiolo, known for its bright acidity and structural tannins. Our buyer, Seb Agnello, manned the 2018 and 2019 table. These two vintages show distinctly different styles. 2018 was a more mixed vintage, still with some notable successes. It is a lighter expression of the Nebbiolo variety, but by no means a poor vintage. It has always been our view that it was a misunderstood vintage; wines from this year have shown appreciably better after a little time in bottle, having been difficult to read when very young. From the wines shown, the Barolo Prapo from Ettore Germano impressed clients with its cherry red fruit – for a Barolo from Serralunga d’Alba, a commune known for richness and power, this is an incredibly pretty example, vintage in, vintage out. Chiara Boschis’ blended Barolo, Via Nuova, drawn from various crus from the across the region, received plenty of praise from clients, too. Perhaps the wine that impressed most from this selection was Vietti’s Cerequio 2018, which showed blue fruit touches, a fine freshness and those slightly rounder tannins that are common to La Morra. The 2019s were a last-minute addition and were the two single vineyard wines of Andrea Bosco which offered an opportunity to compare a Barolo from the lighter soils of Verduno with a richer wine from La Morra; respectively, the wonderfully refined Agostino Bosco, Barolo, Neirane and the darker, brooding Agostino Bosco, Barolo, La Serra. Clients seemed interested in how these two most recent vintages would shape up in time. While the 2019s are the product of hot year, these showed how that vintage manages to show a certain classicism. They will warrant 8 to 10 years in bottle before showing in their prime. In contrast, the 2018s, with their lighter accent, are already starting to show well, even if some of the leading examples will still demand 4- or 5-years patience before really starting to sing. The 2017 table was, for me personally, one of the most fascinating. Not only were some of the region’s most notable growers featured in this line up, but it showcased a vintage that I fear has been a little overlooked. 2017 was a hot and dry vintage and in an earlier era I don’t believe the wines would have come through as well as they have. Growers have had to adapt to modern day conditions in Barolo; whatever way you cut it, this is down to climate change. As I remarked to various clients, in the 1990s there were perhaps three notable vintages which delivered ripe fruit and fine structure, other vintages in which many growers lost precision and freshness in their wines but a greater number of years in which it proved tough to ripen Nebbiolo fully. Leaf-plucking became routine to expose the fruit to the sun and allow aeration. Rolling the clock forward, between 2010 and 2020 we have not had a bad vintage. There have been challenging conditions, but we have had four great vintages - 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019. Then there have been some more mixed years, but ones in which good growers have nevertheless excelled. Today it is more about providing some protection to the fruit, as opposed to exposing it. This is quite an incredible switch around to have occurred in just 20 years. Growers have needed to learn fast – to learn how to prepare their vineyards for the modern-day challenges of heat and drought, when not so very long ago, the challenge was inclement weather. 2017 is a successful hot vintage, particularly given there were four months in the growing season without any rain. The cooler weather at harvest really assisted in providing freshness to the aromatics and brightness to the fruit; this was notably evident in the selection of 2017s at the tasting. The two wines from Brovia were just beautiful; both the Brea ‘Vigna Ca Mia’ and the Villero were way ahead of the quality that a reading of the vintage reports might suggest possible. Instead we found pure fruit, refined tannins, glossy textures and a complex amalgam of fruit nuances and tertiary notes. Equally compelling were the duo from Poderi Oddero. In the amazingly graceful Vigna Rionda, from one of the region’s finest terroir, Oddero has crafted a genuine beauty in 2017 and I would suggest it isn’t far removed from the quality they delivered in the tremendous 2016 vintage; this should be a wine on your watch list if you a fan of the finest Barolo. The Bussia Vigna Mondoca showed in a similarly impressive manner; Bussia, in Monforte d’Alba, is a controversially large cru but when you taste wines of this calibre, there is no doubting that it has the potential to rank highly, depending on the exact location of the vines within the . Very rich, with a deep damson, plum quality to the fruit and hints of spice, this rich Barolo will demand patience, even in a year like 2017 where some wines are starting to drink. In this latter category, we would place Vietti’s reliable Castiglione blend and, surprisingly, Vajra’s 2017 Ravera, which seems to show very little of the austerity that is more typical of this cool, elevated Novello cru. The 2016 table certainly drew considerable attention, as clients were aware that this vintage is considered to be one of the all-time greats. The 2016 vintage represented the perfect growing season with no excesses or problematic weather. These wines have such appealing fruit and fine tannin that a number show that they are already approachable though even the humblest from this vintage have ageing potential. The table was manned by Atlas’ Nick Pitcher, who commented that clients were impressed by the 2016 Barolo del Comune di La Morra from Renato Corino on account of its expansive, rounded fruit. 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Clients were fascinated to taste six different crus, each from one of six of the different communes of Barolo, all from the same producer, and from the same vintage. As one client commented ‘A great dinner party experience to be had tasting single cru Barolo at a bargain price!’. It is hard to argue with that. While the Arnaldo Rivera wines aren’t in the Premier League of Barolo, they are well made, approachable and provide a good introduction to understanding the single cru vineyards and the communes that make up the patchwork that is Barolo. Unsurprisingly, the lighter tannins and juicy red from on the Monvigliero impressed various tasters as did the richer, Vigna Rionda. The inclusion of the 2016 Neirane from Agostino Bosco sparked interest too, with many clients returning to the 2019 to refresh the comparison; the 2016 is just starting to drink as this vineyard possesses lighter soils with an element of sand, whereas the 2019 will need more patience. Then finally, we had a mixed table spanning the vintages from 2015 back to 2011, manned by Atlas’ Toby Herbertson. This table was a real draw as it allowed clients some insight into how Barolo ages; this was very much needed as some clients weren’t particularly familiar with the region. Some clients started tasting here, which might not have made it easier to move onto younger wines thereafter. The ability to compare wines from the same growers in 2011 and 2012 fascinated people and both vintages impressed. 2011 is one of those vintages that is starting to drink really well – it was a hot vintage, by the standards of that point in time, but it was wonderful to see how, if anything, the wines seem to have picked up a little more precision as they have aged. Both the Sandrone Cannubi Boschis 2011 and the Vietti Ravera 2011 found favour. The 2012 Sandrone, Le Vigne, shows just how well Sandrone adapt to vintage conditions. 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