Somni 2015

The Somni 2015 is the Carignan and Syrah blend with which Alfredo Arribas shows the elegant side of Priorat. Rich fruit, cassis, plum, cherry and sloe, underpinned by bay leaf, sage and liquorice. Arribas plays with overripeness without ever losing balance.

The vines grow at 320 to 360 metres on weathered llicorella slate soil rich in iron. The Clos del Portal estate stretches from the valley of the Siurana river towards the Montsant mountains, covering a good fifty hectares, about half of which are under vine; the rest is olives, almonds and Mediterranean woodland. Here Arribas found abandoned terraces with ancient vines that phylloxera had spared in the barren, steep slate.

Harvesting took place during the first three weeks of October, with the grapes sorted berry by berry. 24 days of fermentation in steel tanks, spontaneous with wild yeasts, followed by 15 months in foudres and French barriques, none of them new. Winemaker Juan Asens works with minimal use of sulphur. 14.0% vol.

Ripe and rich, as the nose suggests, yet the cool, mineral-tinged component keeps the fruit from any heaviness. Fine acidity, fine tannin, with mocha, charcoal and dark tobacco on the finish. Dry.

Partridge in Carignan sauce with Puy lentils, lamb shoulder with labneh, dates and chickpeas, or grilled aubergines with lentils, soft eggs and dukkah.

Somni means dream in Catalan. Trained as an architect, Alfredo Arribas designed bars and hotels in Barcelona before buying land in Priorat in 2001; he bottled his first wines in 2004. He farms organically without certification, moving towards biodynamic practices, and limits yields to around one kilogram of grapes per vine.