2015 Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda. Priorat Torroja Vi de Vila

A blend of Carinyena (Carignan) and Garnatxa (Grenache) hand-harvested in crates of 10 kg. Vines are 20–60 years old. Carinyena (Carignan) grows on slate soils, Garnatxa (Grenache) on slate and clay. Traditional French winemaking, whole bunches are trampled softly inside the fermentation tanks, moving the oxygen with a small carbon dioxide hose. Spontaneous fermentation, pumping over is not done if it is not necessary. Production of 18,000 bottles. The nose is very open, showing cedar, cloves, pencil lead and a herbaceous touch. Slightly shy, needs time to open up. Less extracted, yet much more refined than the average Priorat. It lingers on the palate with finesse. Deep herbal notes on the finish. Smooth. (FC)

A tad lower in acidity but surprisingly fresh, the 2015 Torroja Vi de Vila is fruit-driven with a caressing texture. It is a 50/50 blend of Cariñena and Garnacha from different vineyards on slate llicorella soils, fermented in oak and matured in foudre until bottling in late June 2016. It's a little closed, possibly because of the recent bottling, as Dominik likes to work in a reductive way, which in the long term adds ageability in bottle. There's something savory in the nose here, perhaps iodine, hints of licorice and a mix of flowers. It's very tasty, with deep flavors and very good persistence. This has great elegance and freshness. There are 16,800 bottles produced. This is great for a slightly warmer vintage. Here the aim is also to reach around 20,000 bottles per vintage and stop there.