Faunus is one of the first wines that Alfredo Arribas and his team have offered us since the 2010 vintage from his Ediciones I-Limitadas project, a venture that continuously opens up the way both for original wines, such as this one, and for exclusive wines made in a most personalised way in conjunction with other wineries and oenologists who share the same philosophy, or else special editions for restaurant owners. Whatever the particular case, wines like those we have grown used to from his Portal del Priorat and Trossos projects - terroir wines, elegant, fresh and full fruit wines.
It is made using a combination of four varieties, with ‘those that darken the glass’ contributing a higher percentage: Cariñena (30%), Syrah (30%), Tempranillo or Ull de Llebre (25%) and it truly does darken the glass: with medium-high density and fairly concentrated.
Just by pouring it into the glass, a feast of aromas emerges, extremely fruit-forward aromas, of fresh yet ripe red and black fruit, of Mediterranean herbs, India ink, smoky and mineral notes..., an aromatic array which leaves us in no doubt at all that this is a Montsant wine: it smells of Montsant.
Faunus is, moreover, a wine that is simultaneously dense and fresh; a wine with plenty of body yet at the same time accessible; warm, revealing the fruit’s maturity, but balanced by a delicious acidity. Its entry is most appealing, it has good structure and spreads through the whole mouth, growing, with this full, meaty mouthful culminating in a fruit-driven finish, revealing notes of India ink, and, on swallowing, it takes its leave with some polished tannins and a pleasant fresh feel.
Exactly what Alfredo envisages achieving: freshness, elegance and fruit expression. Mission accomplished, with this vintage.
