Les Manyes 2010

This interesting project was begun in the middle of the last decade by South African, Eben Sadie and German, Dominik A. Huber who are possibly the best representatives of what has been called Priorat’s “second revolution”. The bodega is located in the village of Torroja del Priorat and its style is distinctly Burgundy-inspired. They produce five red wines and two excellent whites, both very difficult to get hold of. Their philosophy is “minimum intervention” and they try to ensure that the wines are a true reflection of the soil and the variety that go into them.

Appearance

Dark cherry red with a garnet rim. Fine tears.

Nose

Complex, very nice. Really fruity, with red flower petals and fresh herbal notes. Very natural. No distracting additives.

Palate

Round but very crisp. Again there are fruit aromas. Especially fresh and mineral with a long finish. Very tasty, with personality.

Comment

Les Manyes is one of the two great wines made by Terroir al Limit. It is the dance partner of the renowned Les Tosses. The special characteristic of this unusual, modern Priorat is not so much the fact that it is a single varietal, Garnatxa, but that it comes from an estate near the Figuera mountain, where the soils are not the typical slate (licorella) but chalk, clay and sand, etc. This completely different terrain creates a much cooler terroir which better protects the roots and plants and is able to produce a very fine wine, of extreme elegance and great personality. This is undoubtedly a fine example of a wine to follow which quickly places itself on the cusp of those wines which are highly rated and much appreciated by the general public and international critics. A fantastic wine which can be enjoyed now and which will age well over the next five years. A thesis wine.