2022 Terroir Sense Fronteres Brisat, Montsant

Tile, flint, citrus and some apples here. Broad and creamy on the palate with bright, zesty acidity and some fine tannins. Bone-dry on the palate. Skin contact for three days. Stainless steel. Drink now.

92 points jamessuckling.com

Terroir Sense Fronteres Brisat is an expressive, skin-contact white from Montsant that rewrites expectations of the region’s Garnacha Blanca. Crafted by Dominik Huber, the visionary behind Priorat’s cult estate Terroir al Límit, this wine speaks to his passion for minimal intervention and capturing a pure sense of place.

Brisat is a Catalan term for an orange wine made by fermenting white grapes on their skins. In this case, organically farmed Garnacha Blanca is left to macerate on its skins for about a week before wild fermentation and ageing in large, neutral oak. The result is a wine with texture, energy and a striking mineral backbone.

The nose is lifted with aromas of orange peel, chamomile, dried apricot and mountain herbs. On the palate, it walks a line between grip and finesse, offering citrus pith, savoury spice and a saline finish that nods to the schist and clay soils of Montsant. There’s no overt funk, just clarity and structure.

This is a brilliant match for grilled squid with romesco, roast chicken with preserved lemon, or even aged Manchego with quince paste.