In the case of this Les Manyes, I think 2014 was the big surprise, with a combination of depth, perfume, subtleness and power difficult to achieve. The clay and chalky soils provide for an extraordinary texture of tannins, a lot less coarse than those from slate soils. It distills all the Mediterranean herbs and flowers, the essence of ripe red cherries and wild strawberries with some chalky minerality in a nose and palate that is close to perfection. here are 1,008 bottles produced. RP
This 2013 Les Manyes is stunning, perfumed and floral, with subtle aromas of Mediterranean herbs and flowers. The vineyard is located at 800 meters altitude on clay and limestone soils, a true rarity in Priorat, in the zone where Scala Dei has their Mas Deu vineyard, and it might be the secret why it produces such and elegant and fresh wine. Perfumed and intoxicating, this has a beautiful nose. The vinification is similar for all reds, a short, 10-day maceration with the full clusters followed by an elevage in large, neutral oak foudres, in this case for almost two years. It developed a nose of violets with time in the glass that complemented the fine tannins and the subtle minerality. The balance is gobsmacking. RP