Camins del Priorat Alvaro Palacios 2020 (750ML)

92 Points, Luis Gutiérrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The regional blend 2020 Camins del Priorat, produced with grapes from 101 plots from eight villages in Priorat, is a blend of 55% Garnacha, 15% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 8% Cariñena, higher in Garnacha and lower in Cariñena, like in the majority of 2019s. That gives the wines freshness and elegance, vivacity and fluidity. It fermented with the indigenous yeasts in a combination of stainless steel, oak and concrete vats and matured in barrel and oak vats for four months. This is more Priorat than any of the vintages of Camins; in reality, nobody is planting French varieties anymore and many are regrafting their vines, so in the future, the tendency could be toward more Garnacha and Cariñena in this wine. This is a very drinkable version of Camins, less dense than the 2019, from a year that was cooler with just an herbal hint. The mouthfeel is velvety with great freshness and very fine tannins. This has to be the finest Camins to date, different from previous years; it should be a commercial success. 226,000 bottles were produced. 2020 was their earliest harvest ever." 07/21

93 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "Sweet-berry, watermelon and orange aromas follow through to a full body with soft, fine tannins and a fruity finish. Friendly and delicious. Drink now." 10/21

91 Points, John Gilman, View from the Cellar: "The 2020 Camins Del Priorat is the entry level bottling from Alvaro Palacios. The 2020 is composed from a blend of fifty-five percent garnacha, fifteen percent syrah, twelve percent cabernet sauvignon, ten percent merlot and eight percent cariñena. The wine comes in at 14.5 percent octane in this cooler vintage in Priorat and offers up a bright and complex nose of red and black raspberries, fruitcake, garrigue, a fine base of soil tones, peonies and just a whisper of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and nicely delineated, with a good core and soil signature, fairly moderate tannins (for Priorat) and good length and grip on the gently warm finish. I like this wine quite well, but would definitely tuck it away in the cellar for at least four or five years before drinking, as its tannins tend to build a bit with aeration and clearly the wine will improve with some middle-term cellaring." 03/22