Hommage 2024

A dry white wine at 13.0% ABV, drawing its tension from acidity and stone rather than mass. Lean and focused in build, with a cool slate spiciness carrying through to the finish.

The vines stand on the terraces of the Clos del Portal estate in the south of Priorat, near the villages of El Lloar and Bellmunt. Of the estate's forty hectares, only fourteen carry vines, the rest given over to olives, almonds and Mediterranean woodland. The black Llicorella slate is barren and steep, forcing the roots deep. Alfredo Arribas, formerly an architect in Barcelona, bought the land in 2001, farms it organically and biodynamically, and caps yields at around one kilogram of grapes per vine.

A blend of Grenache blanc and Pedro Ximénez. In the cellar, winemaker Juan Asens continues the house's signature approach: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, minimal sulphur use, no new barriques. What the vines draw from the slate is meant to reach the bottle without detour.

The nose shows wet stone and wild herbs, layered with citrus and pale blossom. On the palate, racy acidity, subtle grip and a cool, stony rawness that leaves the wine finishing dry and clear.

Pairs with steamed turbot, seafood or an arroz a banda. A chilled almond ajoblanco or a mature sheep's cheese also find a good match here.

A white blend from a region Arribas shows at its most elegant: moderate alcohol, radically low yields and clean lines with no surplus material.