Bodegas Zerran Tinto Red Blend, 2022, Monstant, Spain

Zerran Tinto Red Blend is made from Syrah and very old Garnacha vines and Carignan (aka Mazuelo) aged 16 months in French oak. The wine has very concentrated black fruit flavors and overtones of crushed stone. This winery is a project of Jorge Ordonez and associates. The D.O. Montsant is a horse shoe shaped appellation that surrounds the DO Priorat on three sides. It should have been included in the Priorat appellation but was excluded when it was designated for economic reasons. The winery is located near the town of Capcanes next to a nature reserve park. Despite the proximity to the Mediterranean, this high elevation location (500-600m) is buffered by a series of mountains. The soils are similar to Priorat with Montsant being a bit more complex with a mixture of slate, sandy clay and chalk.