Who are they?
In 2001 a food and wine obsessed German named Dominik Huber, and winemaker Eben Sadie fell in love with Priorat. With the help of some friends they found a plot of old vine Garnacha and Carignan, and rented some cellar space to make their first vintage of Dits del Terroir. As the project grew, and they took on more vineyard sites, Dominik dedicated more time to farming - implementing biodynamics, and other methods to reduce the stress on vines in this stark and difficult terrain. This new approach paid off, directly impacting the quality of the fruit. With better grapes coming into the cellar, they had a realisation: super-ripe grapes, combined with extractive winemaking, and aging in barriques was masking the essence of the vineyards they were working. They started to practice whole-bunch fermentation, and out went the small barrels, replaced with concrete tanks and large oak. Dominik now bottles in the Burgundian model: wine are classified as crus, village wines (Vi de Vila), or regional wines such as the Terroir Historic red and white, where grapes are sourced from trusted growers across the Priorat. The resulting lithe and elegant, pure and expressive wines have gone from strength to strength, and fully deserve the reputation and cult-status they’ve since acquired.
What's in the box?
Terroir Al Limit, Historic Blanc, 2021 (Orange Peel, Honey, Salty)
Terroir Historic, offers a macro view of the Priorat by combining fruit from organically-farmed vineyards all around the Priorat’s nine villages into a regional wine. Vinification is simple and traditional with whole cluster, native yeast fermentations, 10 days maceration with gentle pigeage. Followed by six months in large concrete tanks and a minimum of SO2 used throughout.
Terroir Al Limit, Historic Red, 2021 (Red Fruits, Floral, Herbaceous)
Terroir Historic, offers a macro view of the Priorat by combining fruit from organically-farmed vineyards all around the Priorat’s nine villages into a regional wine. Vinification is simple and traditional with whole cluster, native yeast fermentations, 10 days maceration with gentle pigeage. Followed by six months in large concrete tanks and a minimum of SO2 used throughout.
Terroir Al Limit, Terra Cuques Tinto, 2019(Plummy, Dark Cherry, Mineral)
Dominik describes this as a 'village level' wine. The Garnacha and Carinyena for this cuvée come from several vineyards around the village of Torroja, ranging in age from 25–40 years old. Grapes are hand harvested and fermentation takes place in a mix of stainless steel and cement tanks with natural yeasts, there is no punching down or pumping over. Fermentation lasts between 7-10 days before 8 months aging, also in cement and stainless steel tanks and bottling without fining or filtration.
Terroir Al Limit, Terra Cuques Blanca, 2021 (Floral, Citrus, Textured)
Terra de Cuques is made from Garnacha Blanca and Pedro Ximénez 25-35 year old vines. Grapes are hand-harvested as whole clusters and ferment with native yeasts in inox stainless steel and cement tanks for five days. The wine then ages in cement tanks for 6 months before bottling without fining or filtration and just a touch of sulphur.
Terroir Al Limit, Pedra Guix, 2019 (Nutty, Mineral, Orchard Fruits)
Pedra de Guix is made from 50 to 80 years old Pedro Ximénez, Macabeo and Garnacha Blanca vines in roughly equal proportions. Whole clusters are gently crushed and basket pressed, then undergo native yeast fermentations in neutral oak. Before the spontaneous fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred into a 1,200 litre Stockinger foudre and neutral 500 litre French oak barrels which age for 18 months before blending and bottling without fining or filtration.
Terroir Al Limit, Dits Del Terra, 2019 (Aromatic, Raspberry, Leather)
Dits del Terra gets its name from the gnarled, 85 year old Carinyena vines that look like ancient fingers clawing into the slate soils of this south-facing site near the village of Torroja. Grapes are hand-harvested and fermented as whole-bunches for 7-10 days in cement tanks before aging for 8 months, also in cement tanks.
