Les Tosses 2021

A red wine of cool precision. Violet and wet slate lead, with dark fruit behind that never tips into over-ripeness. Dominik Huber and Tatjana Peceric aim for finesse and drinkability rather than concentration, and Les Tosses shows it in every sip.

Priorat in Catalonia means steep slopes, slate soils and hot summers. In Torroja del Priorat, Terroir al Limit farms 15 hectares organically and biodynamically. Huber counters the heat with biodynamic preparations in the vineyard and harvests earlier than most. Les Tosses is one of the estate's single-vineyard selections.

Carignan, known as Samsó in Priorat, delivers natural acidity, firm tannin and spicy dark fruit. Since 2009 the winery has worked with whole-cluster infusion: the berries stay whole and are not crushed, there is no pump-over across the cap, and pigeage is no longer practised. This restrained cellar work allows the variety's finer side to come through. 13.5% vol., vinified dry.

Juicy and taut at once, with fine-grained tannin and vibrant acidity. Raspberry and plum meet a saline minerality reminiscent of the slate; the clear, long finish carries a note of bitter almond.

Fresh acidity, fine tannin and spicy depth make this wine a fine partner for rack of lamb with Provençal herbs, pa amb tomàquet with Iberian ham, wild mushroom ragout and hard cheeses such as Manchego. Ratatouille and lentil dishes with smoked paprika also work well.

Terroir al Limit was founded in 2004 by Dominik Huber and South African winemaker Eben Sadie. Since Sadie's departure in 2012, Huber has run the estate together with winemaker Tatjana Peceric, who is responsible for the vineyards and winemaking.