Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi, Priorat DOCa, Spain 2023

Alvaro Palacios Finca Dofi, Priorat DOCa 2023 is a beautifully balanced and expressive red from one of Spain’s most admired producers, showcasing the depth and purity that define top Priorat. This single‑vineyard wine, predominantly Grenache with a touch of Carinena, opens with floral and mineral‑tinged aromas alongside ripe dark cherries, raspberry and hints of spice and herbal sage. On the palate it delivers succulent dark fruit with a silky, fresh texture, fine ripe tannins and a long, elegant finish that carries both fruit intensity and mineral finesse. With excellent balance and structure, the 2023 Finca Dofi is approachable now with food but also has the potential to age gracefully over the next decade and beyond.

" The 2023 Finca Dofí was still not bottled, like a few of the 2023s. It comes from the 12.5-hectare vineyard that names the wine, which extends across three different parajes, or lieu-dits, from Gratallops. The vines were planted 20 years ago on slopes and terraces, and in 2023, it delivered 95% Garnacha and 5% Cariñena that fermented with part of uncrushed grapes in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and had a 36-day maceration. It matured in oval oak foudres and large barrels for 15 months. When I tasted it last year, it surprised me because of its floral and perfumed profile. It continues the same, a character that has grown in the last few years, floral, aromatic and elegant, very clean and precise." Wine Advocate 96