Terroir al Límit Soc. Lda. Terroir al Límit Les Manyes 2017 750ml

I tasted two vintages of the top Garnacha (Peluda), so next to the 2017 Les Manyes, I also had the 2018; it was great to see the differences in the wines, even if the analytical data showed pretty similar. This amazing vineyard at 800 meters in altitude on red clay and gypsum soils has more in common with some vineyards from Montsant than the majority of other vineyards from Priorat. In 2016, they started aging the wine 100% in concrete, and they have no intention of going back. This is quite austere and compact and has had a slow oxidation in concrete, and the wine feels quite stabilized and fresher than other 2017s but again perhaps not as deep as the 2018. It’s not a showy vintage; it’s quite subtle. It takes a long time to open up in the glass, and it’s clearly the freshest of the 2017s. 3,200 bottles were filled in June 2020 after a longer élevage, exclusively in concrete for this second bottling lot.

A really beautiful wine with such depth and balance, showing creamy, polished tannins and a long, long finish. Full-bodied yet agile and caressingly textured. The finish shows plum, tile and chocolate character. Garnacha. Drink or hold.