Terroir Al Limit - Priorat Pedra de Guix 2017

With the demands arising from increasing production at Terroir al Limit and additional farming responsibilities with the conversion to organic and biodynamic farming practices in conjunction with Eben Sadie spending more time in South Africa with his various projects, Dominik began working full time at Terroir al Limit in 2007. The goal at Terroir al Limit is to foster wines of infusion rather than extraction and elegance rather than the typical heaviness of the Priorat. This process of evolution is continuing with the gradual change to aging all their wines in concrete instead of oak to ensure the purest expression in each of their cuvées Pedra de Guix While Dominik Huber produces two white wines at Terroir al Limit, they are made quite differently.

Dominik refers to Pedra de Guix as his “oxidative” white. Guix is a blend of old-vines of Pedro Ximenez on clay soils in the village of Lloar, Macabeu on alluvial soils in the village of Poboleda, and Garnatxa Blanca on schist in the village of Torroja. After harvesting these varieties by hand, they are brought to the cellar and placed in a basket press where they are gently pressed over several hours into a concrete vat. Once aged in demi-muids, Dominik and Tatjana now prefer the more subtle oxidative aging of Stockinger foudre. 

"The white 2017 Pedra de Guix is a blend of one-third each Pedro Ximenez, Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo grapes from the villages of Lloar, Torroja and Poboleda, respectively. They consider this an homage to Jerez and think this is a vintage with more freshness and better acidity than previous years. It fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in well-seasoned 1,800-liter oak foudres. This is an oxidative white that in this vintage matured in less old oak than in the past, when the wine was more oxidative. This is livelier and fresher, even if it does have the nutty undertones but coupled with elegance and freshness, which is the direction they want for this wine. There is a creamy touch here, but the palate is still quite austere, with the chalky tannins and mouthfeel and the dry, almost salty finish. This is more ethereal than previous years, long and complex." - 95 Points, Wine Spectator

Producer: Terroir Al Limit

Country: Spain

Region: Catalunya

Varietal: Pedro Ximénez, Garnacha Blanc, Macabeu

Appellation: Priorat

Vintage: 2017

Size: 750ml