Dits del Terra 2019

Dits del Terra comes from the south-facing slopes of Torroja, fully exposed to the sun and naturally on slate. At first, this sounds like fat Priorat and not contemporary. Dits del Terra is contrary to that. The cypresses cast shadows along the slopes.

Whole cluster fermentation in cement instead of extraction in wood. The wine is allowed to rest for 16 months in Stockinger barrels and cement tanks.

The vines are 60 years old and stand at about 400 metres altitude.

With a low yield of 1,500kg per hectare, 4,000 bottles will be filled from 2019.

Dense purple with light rim

2019 Dits del Terra clearly stands for the modern, contemporary Priorat. Far from fruit bombs and jam, Dominik and Tatjana know how to bottle a Carignan that exemplifies the winery's new style. Green and black olives hand over the reins to fennel, rosemary and sage. Earthy, dark nuances spread juniper, green and black pepper as well as cocoa beans. Cocoa butter has a moderating effect. It is carried by a greenish, ethereal note that I associate with blackberry bushes. It oscillates between Darjeeling and Assam. Dark, serious and full of depth. Woody, wild, ethereal. Some slate spice and fresh tar are typical of Priorat again.

On the palate, it takes all this to the extreme. Cool and full of finesse. Juiciness reinvents itself here. Full of density and concentration, without conveying fullness or heaviness. It comes across as silky and polished, but also leaves room for all its rough edges. the sour cherry comes across much more clearly and better on the palate and especially in the finish. It reveals fine herbal and ethereal nuances. Mint, eucalyptus and sage first and foremost. The earthiness, the finest tannin and its minerality are simply "state of the art". Phenomenal on the palate. In the aftertaste, the intense notes come to the surface again and leave their mark for minutes.