Les Tosses 2017

Les Tosses 2017 is a quiet Priorat. The Carignan shows itself wild and racy, yet stays restrained and understated, favouring finesse over sheer power. A soft-spoken wine whose statements carry weight.

The Carignan vines stand at 650 metres above sea level, which is why the wine is classed as a "Vi d'altura". The subsoil is the black schist typical of Priorat, known as Llicorella. Terroir al Limit is based in Torroja del Priorat and farms 15 hectares organically and biodynamically. Dominik Huber is among the earliest harvesters in the region, countering hot summers with biodynamic preparations in the vineyard and an early-timed harvest.

Pure Carignan. Since 2009 the estate has worked with whole-cluster infusion: the berries remain whole, are not crushed, there is no pumping over the cap, and pigeage has long been abandoned. Ageing today lasts just three months in Stockinger foudres, meaning oak plays a very minor role. 14.0% vol., dry.

The nose reveals greengage, ripe plum and a touch of cinnamon, alongside Mediterranean notes of black olive, thyme and pine. The palate opens juicy and cool, pure schist, with a finely structured, positively rustic texture. The finish brings back black olive, plum and thyme.

Dominik Huber founded Terroir al Limit in 2004 together with Eben Sadie and has run the estate on his own since Sadie's departure in 2012, today alongside Tatjana Peceric as Head Winemaker, responsible for winemaking and vineyards. The wines are structured as a hierarchy of village wine and single-vineyard selections. Les Tosses is one of these vineyard selections.