2019 Terroir al Limit Terroir Históric Negre Priorat

92+ The 2019 Terroir Históric is charming, approachable, round, open and expressive, with good ripeness and 14% alcohol, a juicy palate with a soft mouthfeel and round tannins. 25,000 bottles produced. (LG)

Priorat has been undergoing something of a renaissance in recent years. For several decades, the wines of Priorat turned up the dial regarding alcohol, extraction and oak, often including international varieties in the mix, too. As a result, the wines were often big and rich but lacking in regional character. The 2019 Terroir Històric Priorat Negre, however, is a fresh and modern take on Priorat, crafted by up-and-coming producer Terroir al Límit, a wine project founded by Dominik Huber (with early input from Eben Sadie) that seeks to revive small family-owned vineyards across Priorat’s nine historic villages. Unlike the Terroir al Limit single vineyard wines, the Terroir Historic wines are sourced from multiple small, family-owned plots in a quest to express the overall terroir and character of the region. This wine is a traditional blend of 75% Garnatxa Negra and 25% Carinyena, fermented in tank with partial whole clusters. The wine is then aged for six months in large, neutral concrete tanks — no oak, no additional extraction — allowing for a pure and mineral-driven expression. Now with 6 years of age, the wine balances ripe red and black fruit notes (pomegranate, black plum) with classic Priorat wild herbs and slate minerality on the palate. The wine is generous yet precise, following up with a hint of black pepper on the finish, and nicely integrated tannins. Despite its firm structure, the wine feels elegant and fresh, with a core of savory, earthy notes. This is a wine that beautifully expresses both the spirit of its makers — minimalist, terroir-focused, community-oriented — and the rugged, rocky landscape of Priorat.