In 2015 Dominik Huber finally managed to purchase his beloved Les Manyes vineyard in Priorat’s North West Escaladei canton. Part of this purchase was an adjacent four-hectare parcel of Garnacha vines in the DO Montsant. Lying a few hundred metres from Les Manyes, the vineyard is called Els Montalts and the terroir is almost identical. High in the Montsant ranges, the vines are located at a remarkable altitude of 800 metres. As we have seen, Les Manyes produces a Priorat Garnacha like no other; the antithesis of Priorat’s blockbuster image, with the intensity, finesse and transparency of a great Grand Cru Burgundy. El Montalts is cut from the same cloth.
Taking its name from the local terminology for the vineyard’s red clay and gypsum soils, Guix Vermell was planted with Garnacha some 75 years ago. Peceric and Huber only use the finest selection of fruit from the site to produce between just 1,200 and 1,600 bottles per vintage. The 2018 was whole-bunch fermented in Italian terracotta amphorae for about seven to 10 days, then lightly pressed and returned to the same vessels for six months. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
The reviews for this ‘Montsant-Chambertin’ tell you everything you need to know. The price is breathtaking, but then so is the wine.