Terra de Cuques Blanc 2023

Terra de Cuques Blanc is a white from the D.O.Q. Priorat, made by Dominik Huber of Terroir al Límit from Pedro Ximénez and Garnacha Blanca grown under organic viticulture. Priorat's defining feature is its llicorella, a decomposed slate that reflects heat, forces vine roots deep in search of water and gives the wines a firm, saline minerality, and Huber's approach is built to let that terroir speak. The hand-harvested fruit undergoes whole-cluster fermentation for five days in stainless steel and concrete, a gentle, low-intervention start that draws texture and a subtle savoury grip from the stems and skins while keeping the wine fresh. It then ages for six months in concrete, an inert vessel that allows a slow, oxygen-limited maturation and adds body without any oak flavour, so the fruit and the site stay in front. The result is a complex, highly mineral and very drinkable Priorat white. It pours pale straw and shows citrus peel, white peach and white flowers over a stony, herbal base. The palate is dry and precise, the concrete ageing giving quiet texture behind a long, saline mineral finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.