Terroir Al Limit Historic Negre 2018
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spirits
Wine &
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Dominik freely admits that the Negre from Terroir Històric will always be a Garnatxa-dominated blend with Carinyena playing a secondary role. Garnatxa makes for a friendlier young wine, and that is really the goal Dominik has with this cuvée. With a healthy dose of Garnatxa grown high in the Montsant and on clay-limestone soils, the profile of the Negre is lifted and enticing, floral and decidedly in the red-fruit flavor spectrum. The remainder of the fruit comes from Garnatxa and Carinyena grown on schist which provides freshness and minerality. Fermented whole cluster and with indigenous yeasts, the Negre is fermented then aged for six months in a 5000L concrete tank.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fresh and bright red with blueberry and slate aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Tight tannins and a steely finish. Shows energy and focus. No wood. Garnacha and cariñena.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I think the 2018 Terroir Históric follows the path of the 2016, with a little more freshness, and they have finally gotten rid of the reduction that this wine showed in some vintages. It has a clean and explosive nose of red cherries, licorice and fine spices and is clean and focused, pure, really attractive. There is perfect ripeness, enough to provide flavors and aromas without any excess. The palate is medium-bodied with great balance and is pure, delineated and terribly harmonious. 35,000 bottles produced. It's remarkable that they have been able to increase quantity and quality.
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Wine & Spirits
A mix of garnacha and carignan from old and young vines, this ferments as whole clusters without added yeasts, then ages in a large concrete tank. The front of the wine is simple, with red-currant-syrup scents and some dark tones of plums. But the wine’s main focus is on garnacha’s bright strawberry notes, light in the end and super long lasting, with a complex mineral elegance that kicks as the memory of the fruit begins to fade. It’s a wine you might drink at a farmer’s house in Priorat, with chorizo or pan con tomate.
Other Vintages
2021-
Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.