2016 Terroir al Límit Vi de Coster LArbossar, Priorat

Red capsule (equivalent of 1er Cru level). L’Arbossar is a steep, north-facing vineyard of 90-year-old Cariñena (Carignan) with schist and granite soils near the village of Torroja where the Terroir al Límit cellars are situated. Against conventional wisdom, L’Arbossar was planted on the cooler, north-facing slopes of Torroja. It was this unusual site that informed much of Huber’s early experience with the terroir of Priorat. As Luis Gutiérrez confirms it’s always a “fresher and more floral style” than the corresponding Dits del Terra, the latter from the south-facing slopes. Both wines are made in the same fashion: 100% whole-bunch vinification with wild yeasts and raised for 16 months in a combination of concrete and large-format, neutral oak. The notes below give a good indication of the remarkable quality on offer from Terroir al Límit’s 2016s.

“The Cariñena 2016 Arbossar shows very different from the Dits del Terra. This comes from their oldest vineyard, which delivers very low yields, in some parts no more than 300 or 400 grams per plant. 2016 was a warm year, but not as warm as 2017. The idea is to use less and less oak and, in some wines, use only concrete. In fact, Arbossar is one of the wines that will be aged exclusively in concrete. In 2017, they removed the last 500-liter oak barrels and only used oak foudres and concrete. The élevage has also been shortened, and the wine is put in bottle earlier, as sometimes a too-long aging tires and oxidizes the wines. This is a very elegant Cariñena, with floral notes, clean berries, fine minerality, some spices and a very tasty finish. Simply superb. 4,664 bottles were filled in July 2018.

“Wow. This is so beautiful with crushed cherry and strawberry character and hints of flowers and slate. Full to medium body, tight and dense with compact and silky tannins. Floral and beautiful at the end. Ancient-vine wine. All cariñena. Drink or hold.”