Tabla Rrasa II, El Quadre Buit PXX 2021

A white Priorat of quiet elegance: purist, subtly oxidative, without upfront fruit. Vins Nus, founded in 2005 by Barcelona-based architect Alfredo Arribas, works through omission. What remains is structure, herbal spice and salt. This wine's strength lies in accompanying dishes rather than dominating them.

Pedro Ximénez is the third white variety with a significant presence in the Priorat, partly thanks to immigrants from the south who followed mining work around Bellmunt in the 1960s. The vineyard lies in immediate proximity to the winery on Clos del Portal and was reclaimed. The 45-year-old vines grow on limestone soil, threaded with pebbles and partly schist.

Fermentation takes place in a single 500-litre barrel. For five months, the wine matures protected under flor yeast, fermenting away all sugar. After the flor breaks, it matures partly in a subtly oxidative style. 13.0% vol., dry.

The nose remains linear and restrained: dried oregano, sage and thyme, hay and dry grasses, blossoms of almond, apple and orange, alongside orange and mandarin zest, freshly chopped almonds and a spice note of clove, cardamom and allspice, framed by a touch of white pepper. The fruit shows only in the background, with persimmon and apricot. The entry is firm and dense, the backbone chalky and austere, the texture taut. The acidity stays restrained, with little roundness but plenty of tension and pressure. Saline and mineral through the palate, with herbs and nutty warmth returning on the finish.

A one-off: 372 bottles from a single barrel, with no residual sugar. The Vins Nus labels feature Calder mobiles, kinetic sculptures set in motion by the wind.