Not only is today’s wine aptly named—Priorat is indeed a terroir at a frontier, perched on a rocky bluff in northeast Spain—it feels truer to its place than most of its contemporaries.
Although winemaking in Priorat dates to the 12th century, when Carthusian monks of the Scala Dei (“stairway of God”) priory cultivated vines on its upper slopes, modern Priorat is still evolving. Once largely abandoned, a modern-era revival of the region took hold in the 1990s and the prevailing red wine style was well-suited to the times: inky, extracted, old-vine Grenache and Carignan polished up with new oak and, occasionally, a few ‘international’ grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon thrown in. These wines were (and are) well-received by critics and consumers alike—they’re immensely satisfying—but Terroir al Limit is at the forefront of a stylistic evolution in this unforgettable corner of the world: As you will taste in today’s 2014 “Torroja” Priorat, it is possible to coax not just extraction but aromatic lift and Burgundy-esque finesse from the dusty, fractured-slate soils of these vineyards. Founded in 2001 by Eben Sadie and Dominik Huber, two expats who met at Priorat’s acclaimed Mas Martinet, Terroir al Limit is a great example of how wineries, and wines, change over time. If you are accustomed to the inkier, oakier breed of Priorat, this wine will amaze you, as it did all of us here at SommSelect: It shows off the lifted, aromatic side of Grenache (here blended with Carignan) much like the wines of Château Rayas, prompting one to wonder how they manage that when they’re working with the same grapes as everyone else. I’ll touch on a few likely explanations below, but regardless of the hows and whys, this is an exceptionally soulful red that is not to be missed.
Having been to Priorat myself, I can tell you it is one of the most powerful places I have ever been. I’m instantly transported there when sipping today’s wine. Located about 80 kilometers southwest of Barcelona, just inland from Tarragona and the Mediterranean Sea, Priorat’s upper reaches feel a little like a moonscape, with steep hillsides of old-vine vineyards dominating your view on all sides. The decomposed slate soils, known locally as llicorella, have a dark, blackish tint and are flecked with quartz and other minerals. Shards of llicorella are strewn between the vine rows and glisten in the sun, and when I think about the best Priorat wines I think about pulverized bits of that dark soil taken up through the vine’s roots and deposited into the Grenache and Carignan (a.k.a. Samsò) grapes.
Originally, Terroir al Limit was a collaboration between Sadie, the well-known South African winemaker, and the German-born Huber, who had worked more on the business side. In the intervening years, Sadie has left to focus on his many South African projects, while Huber has jumped headlong into organic and biodynamic viticulture, meticulously tending to an assortment of old-vine sites around Torroja while turning Terroir al Limit into one of the benchmark wine estates of Priorat. This is now highly sought-after wine in the sommelier community, both in Spain and internationally.
Today’s wine, which is certified organic, is a blend of Grenache and Carignan (locally called Garnacha and Cariñena) sourced from vines ranging from 20-75 years of age, most of them rooted in llicorella but a few in some of the rare pockets of clay/limestone in the region. Over the years, Huber has stopped using 225-liter barriques for aging, opting instead for larger foudres from the Austrian cooper Stockinger; he also uses a substantial percentage of whole grape clusters in his fermentations, which seem to have helped moderate alcohol levels and enhance freshness.
Although elevations in Priorat climb to 800 meters, this is not a “cool” region but rather hot, dusty, and dry. Much like Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the nerve and aromatic lift of “Torroja” owes at least in part to old vines. As the wine’s importer, Eric Solomon, notes, “…Dominik farms rigorously to guarantee the health and vitality of his soils so they can retain as much moisture as possible, reducing the hydric stress on the vines in summer and allowing for an earlier harvest of physiologically ripe fruit.”
Now onto today’s 2014: It displays an aromatic profile that reflects both its distinctive soils and its proximity to the Mediterranean. It is aged about 18 months in those Stockinger
foudres. In the glass, it’s a brilliant dark ruby with garnet reflections, showing off a bright and well-balanced mix of red and black fruits: raspberry, cherry, and plum aromas dance with violets, warm spices, crushed rocks, wild herbs, coffee grounds, and licorice. It is medium to medium-plus in body, with fine-grained tannins and lots of tension—deep and drinkable but a far cry from the syrup-rich style that first introduced many consumers to Priorat. Those of you who love serious Burgundy will find a lot of similar qualities. Give it at least 30 minutes to aerate in a decanter before serving it in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees; it would be an absolute knockout with something rustic and Mediterranean-inspired to eat, like the Spanish pork-shoulder preparation known as
pernil. This wine is not only great now but poised to evolve beautifully over the next 10+ years, so consider stocking up for some memorable meals both now and in the future. Cheers!
