2022 Terroir al Limit Priorat Historic Blanc, Catalonia

Terroir Históric is Dominik Huber’s homage to the wines of Priorat before high-octane winemaking techniques from France—and the influence of stateside critics—took hold. With this idea to create an all-encompassing view of Priorat, the vineyards for Históric cover multiple soil types and terroirs across these concertinaed hills: from slate to clay and granite to alluvial soils; from aubagues (shady spots) to solanes (sunny spots); and from 350 to 800 metres in altitude. All sites are certified organic.
 
This white is 75% Grenache Blanc and 25% Macabeo, roughly the same blend as would have been used generations ago. Over the years the style has lessened its reliance on skin contact, so today the grapes are mostly pressed as whole clusters, with the juice wild-fermented and raised on lees for six months in a 5,000-litre concrete tank. No destemming, no stainless steel, no pigeage, no extraction and no new oak—nothing added, nothing taken away. The result is a fresh, mineral and expressive white that oozes texture and stony savouriness.