Pasanau
Finca La Planeta Priorat – 2018
Region: Spain - Cataluña
Pasanau
For centuries, the Pasanau family has cultivated vineyards in the Priorat. The vineyards are located in the highest municipality of the region, skirting the sheer rock wall of the Sierra de Montsant which forms Priorat’s viticultural boundary. Gravelly scree eroded from the cliffs covers the underlying llicorella slate and together with the elevation creates a less Mediterranean microclimate relative to the region as a whole.
At over 743 m (2,400 feet) above sea level, Pasanau’s “Finca La Planeta” dominates the regional landscape and experiences Priorat’s widest daily temperature variation. This helps to retain freshness in the grapes, resulting in a uniquely tight knit, albeit typically powerful Priorat style. At the end of the 19th century, phylloxera devastated all of the vineyards. They were replanted post phylloxera by Grandfather Joan Pasanau. In the 80’s Joan’s grandson Ricard took over. Since his death in 2020, Ricard’s nephew Jordi Pasanau has been at the forefront carrying on his family’s legacy. Today Pasanau is reaching new heights in the expression of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon planted in their Priorat estate vineyards.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
2 plots from estate vineyards at the base of the Serra de Montsant rock precipice, near La Morera de Montsant, the highest vineyards in D.O.Q. Priorat.
- Altitude: 2400 feet
- La Planeta vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon
- 6.8 acres
- Planted 1985
- Espalier trained
- Village, La Morera de Montsant vineyard: Grenache
- Planted 1940s
- Goblet converted to espalier trained
- Soil: Limesone gravel
- Careful, manual vineyard management to limit yields
Harvest Notes
- Temperate and dry 2018 winter
- Bud break end March, followed by rainy April
- Verasion in August, warmer than average September
- Grenache hand harvested end September
- Cabernet Sauvignon harvested October 17-18
- Fermented separately in stainless steel tanks for 30 days
- Blended and aged 36 months in 225 liter French oak barrels
- Bottled May 2022
Winemaker's Notes
Ripe currants and dark berry with wild fennel aromas. Rich and full palate with lifted strawberry, slate and spicy oak. Long, elegant finish. A distinctly Priorat Cabernet.
Wine Summary
Cabernet Sauvignon 81%, Grenache 19%; alcohol: 15%; highest vineyards in D.O.Q Priorat at base of Serra de Montsant, 2400 feet; limestone gravel soil; hand harvested; varieties vinified separately through first fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 30 days; blended before malolactic fermentation; aged 36 months in 225 liter French oak barrels; bottled May 2022.
Technical Information
- Cabernet Sauvignon 81%, Grenache 19%
- Alcohol: 15%
General Info
| COUNTRY | Spain |
| REGION | Cataluña |
| APPELLATION | D.O.C. Priorat |
| PROPRIETORS | The Pasanau Family, headed by Jordi Pasanau |
| WINEMAKER | Sandra Doix |
| ANNUAL PRODUCTION | 2,916 9L cases |
| FARMING (SUSTAINABLE, ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC) | Sustainably farmed, organic vineyards using minimal intervention winemaking techniques |