Granit Montsant – 2022

93 Points

Pretty nose of apricots, lemons, chopped apples and fresh pears. Some jasmine and spicy white pepper notes. Vibrant and flavorful, with a medium to full body, fantastic freshness and a lengthy finish. Drink now.

92 Points

50 year old Garnacha Blanca, fermented and aged in 2000L stockinger foudres. This is a step up from the Vespres with a delicate, endearing note of tarragon to complement the ripe stone and orchard fruits. Chalky textured and with just the right amount of Garnacha “fat” on the palate. 2022 – 2030

92 Points

The varietal Garnacha Blanca 2022 Granit keeps the waxy aromas of the grape and the mineral salinity of the soils that name the wine. The juice from the pressing of the full clusters fermented in a 2,000-liter oak foudre, where it matured for seven months. It has good ripeness, 13.6% alcohol and keeps a pH of 3.33 with five grams of acidity in this warmer year. It has volume and a juicy texture and finishes very tasty and long. This is a triumph over the conditions of the year. 8,023 bottles produced. It was bottled in April 2023. 2023–2028

The wines from Josep Grau Viticultor, who works in Montsant (mostly) and a little in Priorat, seem to be getting better and better. This is a name that usually flies under the radar and deserves more recognition. In 2020, he purchased a vineyard in Capçanes, El Pas de l’Estudian, from which he now produces a new wine under that name. He now has 14.5 hectares of vines in the village of Capçanes and 18 in Marçá in Montsant and 10.5 hectares in Gratallops in Priorat.

I tasted wines from 2021 and 2022, two very different vintages. 2021 was marked by the January snowstorm that brought up to 80 centimeters of snow in some places and plenty of rain through the season, which was cooler than usual. He talks about “delicate, ethereal reds with good structure and depth.” As for 2022, it was extremely dry with successive heat waves and was saved by 48 liters of rain on July 6th. The wines are more fragrant, but he tries to keep the line of the 2021s.

93 Points

The 2022 Granit is 100% Garnatxa Blanca sourced from four vineyard terraces in the town of Capçanes, Montsant. Fermented in foudres and aged for up to a year, this yellow wine features appealing notes of pear and peach, complemented by an herbal bouquet. Dry, rich and bold, the palate flows with a refreshing core, balanced by the plush texture of the oak. A nuanced white, it offers a savory and complex style. 2025 – 2030

A long-time wine lover, Josep Grau made a small fortune in finance before turning to his passion. He started in Priorat in 1993, purchasing a vineyard in Capçanes, Montsant in 2003 and setting up his winery there a couple of years later. In 2016, he returned to Priorat with the purchase of a farmhouse in Gratallops. Grau has produced wines in diverse styles over the years. Today, he crafts finely tuned reds made with Garnatxa and Cariñena, delivering plenty of flavor without stylistic exaggeration and exploring the more delicate side of these varieties.