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Clos I Terrasses

Clos I Terrasses is in Priorat in northeastern Spain. Once a region of traditional winemaking, Priorat lost many vineyards in the 20th century to phylloxera. Then in the late 1980s Spanish and international winemakers revived the region’s wine industry. In 1988 Daphne Glorian became part of that new wave when she purchased terraced vineyards outside of the village of Gratallops in Priorat and started making wine. Although she had no viticultural experience, she was soon getting advice from some of the leading lights of the Spanish wine renaissance, including Rene Barbier and Alvaro Palacios. Glorian grows 75% Garnacha, 20% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the estate is totally biodynamic. Clos Erasmus is the flagship wine, and Glorian named it after the 16th-century Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus, known for writing tracts in praise of folly. The reference is a humorous one to the leap of faith Glorian took in 1988 when she used all of her savings to buy the land that would become Clos I Terrasses. In recent years the Clos I Terrasses winemaker has been Ester Nin, a Spanish winemaking star. Besides Clos Erasmus, the estate makes a second wine called Laurel. Both are produced in small quantities and both have earned high compliments and scores in the mid to upper 90s from reviewers. Robert M. Parker Jr. calls Clos Erasmus “arguably the finest wine of Priorat.”

2005 Clos I Terrasses Priorat Clos Erasmus

Light label condition issue

WA  100   
WS  92   

2005 Clos I Terrasses Priorat Clos Erasmus

WA  100   
WS  92   

2015 Clos I Terrasses Priorat Clos Erasmus

Elevated cork

WA  99   
JD  98+