On paper it sounds almost too good to be true; the terroir-obsessed Dominik Huber, (originally aided by South Africa's Swartland pioneer and wunderkind Eben Sadie), working with old Carignan and Grenache vines, aiming to produce wines of great finesse and purity from the steep llicorella/slate slopes of Priorat. A direct reaction against the heavy, oaky styles that still dominate the region, the wines of Terroir al Límit are inspired by Burgundy.
The vineyards are all around the village of Torroja. These sites are worked biodynamically; the cellar work is as minimalistic as possible, with low levels of sulphur being the only additions. There’s a shunning of new/small format wood, in favour of unlined concrete and 1,800-litre mature oak, and a staunch belief that even in a region famed for its big wines, restraint, precision and balance are where the expression of terroir is at.
Since their initial experiments in 2001, the wines of Terroir al Límit have created a sensation that has since spread far beyond Priorat and Catalonia's borders. Despite Sadie’s involvement ceasing in 2011, Dominik Huber has taken both the viticulture and work in the cellar to even greater heights. If you haven't heard of this grower, don't fret; production is homeopathic.
While critical and trade success has brought a great deal of attention (and local jealousy - in 2011 the winery was vandalized and a portion of their wines in barrel contaminated with household bleach), it has also served (to paraphrase Shakespeare) to hold the mirror up to Priorat winegrowers. Indeed, Terroir al Límit promotes ideals and practices that have already influenced many of the more mature cellars within Priorat itself.
Not often do we find ourselves tasting at a truly game-changing address, especially so in Spain. Yet these are wines to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. They are quite unlike anything we have seen from Priorat previously, and they are all the better for it.
