The 2008 Ludovicus is a blend of 35% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah and 10% Cabernet
Sauvignon aged for three months in French and American oak. It has a crimson hue with a lovely nose of
black currant, blackberry leaf, forest floor, anise and camphor. Mouth-filling and succulent, the wine is spicy
and well made with flavors of dark fruit, Chambord liqueur and cooked meat.
Black raspberry, blackberry, red currant, forest floor and anise.
Today, Celler Vinos Pinol is led by the fourth generation of the family. The estate owns 100 acres in the
town of Batea in the Terra Alta DO located just a few miles from Priorat. It is one of only two wine regions
in Spain to qualify as DOCa, the highest qualification level for a wine region according to Spanish wine
regulations, alongside Rioja. Although wine was certainly made from the vines of the Celler Pinol vineyards
as early as the Middle Ages, it was during the late 20th century that a new generation of master winemakers
emerged like Juanjo Pinol, who learned the art of blending tradition and quality with innovation. Juanjo’s
love of the vineyards and commitment to creating only the finest wines led him to tend to the vines for over
50 years before Celler Pinol released their first bottle in 1959.
More flexible and food-friendly than many big red wines, the Ludovicus will be terrific with roasts or
chops of lamb or beef. Our ideal match would be medium-weight proteins like pork, sausage or duck. Pork
tenderloin rubbed with seasonings and quickly roasted, or slow-roasted pork shoulder with green herbs like
sage and rosemary will work well. Alternatively, fresh or dried fruits will play to the blend’s fruit flavors.
Blue cheese is a natural pairing with any of these red wine varietals and my recipe for Stuffed Roasted Garlic
Paste and Blue Cheese Hamburgers will aptly do the trick. Serve with my Oven Baked Parmesan French Fries or my
French Fries Two Ways.