Dido 2023 75 cl

Venus La Universal is a boutique winery in Montsant founded in 1999 by Sara Pérez and René Barbier Jr. – descendants of two legendary Priorat wine families (Mas Martinet and Clos Mogador). They deliberately chose the quieter Montsant DO to make wines expressing both the region's terroir and their own vision of elegance and individuality. The name and philosophy are inspired by femininity and love – influenced by Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, Sara wanted to "interpret femininity in a wine bottle". The Venus wines pay tribute to beauty, intuition and complexity. The name "Universal" goes back to the small producers of the 1920s whom Sara and René wanted to honour. The winery follows organic principles: 4 ha of its own vineyards on granitic sauló soil and about 10 ha from partner growers farmed to Venus standards. All vines are dry-farmed. Winemaking uses natural yeasts, often co-fermenting different varieties, with minimal or no sulphur, and ageing in a range of vessels – concrete tanks, clay amphorae, large old oak casks and neutral barrels. Montsant's diverse soils allow very different wines: the flagship "Venus" comes from higher clay-limestone sites, while the lighter, more approachable "Dido" grows on the decomposed granite (sauló) around Falset, which gives the wines bright freshness. Critics have praised Venus La Universal for balance, elegance and fine texture, noting them as exceptionally fresh among warm-climate reds with moderate alcohol (some vintages only around 13%).