Bottler: Portal del Priorat, C. de la Font n. 9, 43737 Gratallops / Spain
In the glass
Colour
Dense, dark ruby red with violet reflections.
Nose
Inviting aromas of ripe dark forest berries, Mediterranean spice, wild herbs of the garrigue and a cool note reminiscent of wet slate.
Palate
The palate reveals remarkable freshness and vitality, carried by juicy dark fruit, fine-grained tannins and an elegant structure typical of its origin, without heavy oak influence.
Character
Expressive and elegant – a red wine that, despite its concentration, fascinates with a lightness, clarity and moderate alcohol content rarely found in Priorat.
Pairing
Excellent with braised lamb or beef with rosemary, game dishes with cranberries or mature hard cheeses.
Notes
A masterful blend of Cariñena and Syrah from ancient vines on barren Llicorella slate, produced organically and biodynamically with extremely low yields of just one kilogram of grapes per vine.
Tasting note
Character
The Somni 2016 – Catalan for “dream” – presents itself in the imposing double magnum as a fascinating rejection of the over-extracted blockbuster wines that once made Priorat famous. Entirely in keeping with the philosophy of former architect Alfredo Arribas, this red shows clean lines and no superfluous baggage. It combines Mediterranean spice and dark forest berries with a cool, almost floating elegance. On the palate, it is gripping but never heavy – a wine that masterfully balances power and finesse, carried by a vibrant freshness.
Terroir & Origin
The grapes come from the barren, steep terraces of the Clos del Portal estate in the south of Priorat, near the villages of El Lloar and Bellmunt. Here, the vines root in the legendary, black Llicorella slate. This poor soil forces the vines to root deeply, imprinting the wine with an unmistakable note of wet stone. Through natural, organic and biodynamic cultivation and a rigorous yield restriction to only about one kilogram of grapes per vine, this wine captures the pure essence of this extreme terroir.
Grape Variety & Vinification
This cuvée is based on the grape varieties Cariñena (Carignan) and Syrah. While the Cariñena – partly from ancient, pre-phylloxera vines – provides structure and a taut backbone, the Syrah contributes dark fruit and fine spice. In the cellar, the team relies on gentle vinification with spontaneous fermentation using wild yeasts, short maceration times and the deliberate avoidance of new oak so as not to mask the pure character of origin. Maturation in the 3-litre large bottle also gives this 2016 vintage enormous development potential and a particularly slow, noble ageing process.
Food Pairings
This structured yet elegant red wine demands sophisticated, earthy cuisine. It is the ideal partner for braised rack of lamb with rosemary, fine wild boar goulash or a classic pan-seared fillet of beef with wild mushrooms. It also shows its best side alongside mature, hard sheep’s cheese.
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