Les Tosses 2013

A Priorat red that favours coolness and transparency over sheer power. The nose is defined by violet and wet slate, not overripe fruit. Dominik Huber and Tatjana Peceric work towards elegance, and Les Tosses carries its power with corresponding lightness of foot.

Torroja del Priorat, at the heart of the Priorat: slate, steep slopes, hot summers. Huber is among the earliest harvesters in the region and meets the climate with biodynamic preparations in the vineyard. The estate farms 15 hectares organically and biodynamically.

Single-varietal Carignan. Since 2009 the estate has fermented whole clusters by infusion: the berries remain intact, with neither crushing nor pumping over the cap, and pigeage no longer takes place. The wines are structured after the Burgundian model into Villages, Premier Cru and Grand Cru; Les Tosses is one of the single-vineyard selections above the village wine Terra de Cuques. 13.5% Vol., vinified dry.

Juicy and taut at once. The tannin is silky, the acidity lively, the fruit stays with black cherry and dark berries, rounded out by dried fig and Mediterranean herbs. Bottle age has rounded the spice without taking off the tension. The finish is long and saline.

With herb-crusted rack of lamb, roast partridge or wild mushroom risotto. Equally good with grilled aubergine with romesco and Iberico pork tenderloin. Dishes that pick up the cool slate tone work better than heavy, opulent cooking.

Terroir al Limit was founded in 2004 by Dominik Huber and Eben Sadie, who left the project in 2012. Since then Huber has run the estate together with Tatjana Peceric, responsible for winemaking and viticulture.