TERROIR AL LÍMIT | PRIORAT

Terra de Cuques Negre 2021

Terroir is more than the sum of its altitude, soil and fruit. It is also a prism for focusing skill and intent. As a beautiful blend of local varieties, Terra de Cuques Negre captures the complex soul of Torroja terroir. Llicorella-grown Carignan establishes the structure, backbone and acidity while clay-born Grenache lends the elegant expression of red fruit. The organically farmed vines range from 25 – 40 years old and grow at 400 meters in elevation. The grapes are vinified for 7 - 10 days in whole bunches with wild yeast in cement and inox tanks before undergoing 8 months of further aging, also in cement and inox.

True to its origins and signature, Terra de Cuques charms with its warm and supple nature. Rich black and red fruits reminisce about its many hours of copious sunshine. Yet a cooling wind threads through the wine as well, as both a fine, persistent acidity and fresh herbal essence. Wonderfully juicy, balanced and expressive, a wine without pretensions, simply telling the liquid story of a place and a people and a time. 
Location Different vineyards around Torroja del Priorat
Age 25 - 40 years old
Altitude 400 m
Varieties 50% Carignan, 50% Grenache
Soils Slate for Carignan and clay/slate for Grenache
Alcohol 13.5 %
Location Different vineyards around Torroja del Priorat
Age 25 - 40 years old
Altitude 400 m
Varieties 50% Carignan, 50% Grenache
Soils Slate for Carignan and clay/slate for Grenache
Alcohol 13.5 %
  • ELEVAGE
  • REVIEW
After several years experimenting with different casks, sizes and producers, we now work with a combination of 500-litre barrels and different sizes of Stockinger, thus guaranteeing the most respectful elevage to allow the wine to rest before early bottling. We prefer bottling the wines in a rather reductive state with some hints of gas and lots of life. This means they are very fresh and vital when put into the bottle, resulting in a fresh, straightforward wine which is tight and has lots of tension.
Reviewed by Luis Gutiérrez | The Wine Advocat
The 2016 Torroja Vi de Vila is the village wine that is bottled earlier than the others. The oak is neatly folded into the wine, which is quite fruit-driven and fresh but with clout—especially now that they have the Historic as an entry-level wine, this can show a little more complexity. The blend of Cariñena and Garnacha in equal parts works very well. The fruit is red rather than black, and the texture is silky, with very fine tannins and great acidity. It’s very lively, aromatic and open, fluid, elegant and fresh.

All the reds fermented with full clusters and indigenous yeasts, and this had a ten-day maceration with the skins and stems and then aged 18 months in an oak foudre.

They only have five or six 500-liter oak barrels in addition to the oak foudre, and they use concrete more and more. 16,800 bottles were filled in August 2017.