The wow factor on this wine was amazing; the brambly cedar nose was followed by a strong smokiness and intense dark fruit flavor mingled with tobacco and fennel.

All this in a densely enjoyably chewy racy wine that brought home a smooth package of everything that could possibly happen to make a red wine legendary. I liked this wine enough to say it is probably the best wine that has graced my palate in the last five years.

The 2005 Domini de la Cartoixa Galena from the Priorat region is a blend of 35% Garnacha Negra, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 15% Carinena aged for 12 months in French and American oak, making this wine a new world style blend from old world vines.

If unusual big bold racy wines float your boat, fill your sails and get some Galena Priorat 2005; you won’t be sorry. ~Marc Hinton