2016 Arbossar
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Tasting notes
The Cariñena 2016 Arbossar shows very different from the Dits del Terra. This comes from their oldest vineyard, which delivers very low yields, in some parts no more than 300 or 400 grams per plant. 2016 was a warm year, but not as warm as 2017. The idea is to use less and less oak and, in some wines, use only concrete. In fact, Arbossar is one of the wines that will be aged exclusively in concrete. In 2017, they removed the last 500-liter oak barrels and only used oak foudres and concrete. The élevage has also been shortened, and the wine is put in bottle earlier, as sometimes a too-long aging tires and oxidizes the wines. This is a very elegant Cariñena, with floral notes, clean berries, fine minerality, some spices and a very tasty finish. Simply superb. 4.664 bottles were filled in July 2018.
Critic scores
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Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Wow. This is so beautiful with crushed cherry and strawberry character and hints of flowers and slate. Full to medium body, tight and dense with compact and silky tannins. Floral and beautiful at the end. Ancient-vine wine. All cariñena. Drink or hold.
North-facing Cariñena on slate. Much cooler site and harvested later than most other vineyards. Aged 16 months in a mix of concrete and old tonneaux. Deep cherry red. Peppery, smoky and introverted. Compact, incredibly fine, multi-layered tannin. Beauty all in finesse and dark, dry elegance. Utterly delicious in its sober restraint and, I suspect, so much more to come. (JH)
About the producer
Created by Dominik Huber and Eben Sadie in 2001, Terroir al Limit works with old vines and minimal intervention to make a fresher style of Priorat. Now made exclusively by Dominik Huber, its top wines are the single-site Cariñena Les Tosses and Garnacha Les Manyes.