Arbossar

Spain
Priorat
2020

Arbossar is a steep, north-facing vineyard near Torroja where Dominik farms 90-year-old Carinyena on schist and granite soils. Grapes are hand harvested, left whole cluster and fermented in vat. No pigeage or pumping over and a 2 week maceration before pressing. Aged 20 months in concrete tanks.

96 points
"An old-vine carignan that is naturally concentrated in flavors, but not in form. Some cement and crushed-stone character to the smoked blue fruit, wild berries, flowers and grilled herbs. Medium-to full-bodied palate with fresh fruit and a supple texture. Very fresh, delicate and composed for a carignan. Drink now or hold."
James Suckling,
James Suckling
November 20, 2022
93 points
"The fruit profile of the 2020 Arbossar is completely different from the 2019s, with darker fruit and a smoky note, despite not having any oak (they stopped the foudres for this wine in 2016), but that note goes away with time in the glass. 2020 was a very challenging year, when they lost a lot of the grapes to mildew, and this is the only wine they produced; this is a vineyard near their house and winery and they had better access, other vineyards were difficult to reach because of the rain and also the limitations of manpower because of COVID-19. So, it's a year marked by mildew and the coronavirus. It's soft and fruit-driven, with round tannins and a soft mouthfeel. 4,208 bottles were filled in October 2021."
Luis Gutiérrez,
Wine Advocate
Sep 30, 2022

SKU/Code: 
DB3263-20
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Cariñena
Farming Type: 
Biodynamic