2015 Terroir al Límit Vi de Coster Dits del Terra, Priorat, Spain

Red capsule (equivalent of 1er Cru wine). 

Very limited. The Dits del Terra can be thought of as Arbossar’s south-facing sibling. It is also 100% Cariñena, from three schist-rich sites where the vines are more than 80-years-old. It was aged in a six-year-old, 3,500-litre Stockinger cask. The south-facing terroir brings more flesh and power so Huber infuses the juice very gently, simply using a jug to pour juice over the top of the whole bunches. This is a much more layered, hedonistic and seductive expression of Priorat (than the Arbossar) although it’s still bright and fine with great finesse - as is the Terroir al Límit style. Expect waves of plummy, spicy, floral fruit, flecked through with milk chocolate and cedar notes. The texture is pulpy yet, as always, the finish is cool and fresh. An incredibly classy and moreish wine.

‘The 2015 Dits del Terra has a beautiful nose that is very elegant and perfumed, with floral aromas and a clear mineral note from early on. This is a slightly warmer vineyard (the one originally worked by Eben Sadie); but the balance is amazing here, and there is no heat. The foudres are also a little older—six years old—and therefore are quite neutral, and the wines age nicely in them. The quality and refinement of the tannins is surprising—they provide for a velvety texture, and there is a liveliness on the palate that only the best wines can achieve, especially with a rustic grape grown in a rustic place and in a warm vineyard. In this 2015, the Cariñena is just as fresh (maybe even fresher!) as it is in the Arbossar. Bravo! At the end of the day, both showed a similar quality level. For proprietor Dominik Huber, it's clear that Cariñena is the grape for the warmer places on slate soils. 4,600 bottles were filled in May 2017.’