Dido Blanc was born from a desire, an intuition. True to their commitment to reviving the history and traditions of the region, Sara Pérez and René Barbier set out to create a Mediterranean white wine from local varieties — Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo and Cartoixà (as Xarel·lo is known here) — capable of expressing the voluptuousness, elegance and precision that the great white grapes of southern Europe can achieve. No small ambition.
Dido Blanc is, in many ways, a journey through the Montsant DO. The Garnacha comes from two estates in the villages of Marçà and Falset. The first is a 70-year-old vineyard in the warmer, earlier-ripening part of Montsant. The second, aged 25 years and planted with Garnacha and Macabeo, lies in the Coll de Falset — a cooler, higher-vigour area that balances the warmth and density of the first plot with good acidity, low pH and spiced aromas. Additional parcels of Macabeo, over 70 years old and located in cooler zones, contribute structure and ageing potential.
A small portion of the grapes undergo skin maceration for 3 to 5 days in open barrels, used to create a starter culture with native yeasts. A further 20% macerates on the skins for varying periods — from 24 hours to 15 days — depending on the variety and the level of extraction sought. The remainder is pressed directly, and after blending, the wine is aged for 10 months across barrels of different sizes and a 5,000-litre foudre.
The fruit comes largely from vineyards over 70 years old, planted in clay-limestone soils across the Falset and Marçà districts — a terroir that lends the wine its distinctive depth and mineral character.
What does this wine taste like?
Dido Blanc evokes the aromas of autumn and ripe fruit, of nuts and seeds. Its texture is beguiling and creamy, with a long finish. This is a wine that knows how to balance volume with elegance: balsamic notes emerge alongside a growing sense of skin contact with each sip, closing with subtle bitter notes. Austere and mineral in character, with discreet fruit, its structure recalls that of certain red wines — yet despite the skin maceration, the colour remains notably pale.
On the nose, it is vibrant and lively; on the palate, remarkably well balanced, with good ripeness and an alcohol so well integrated it becomes almost imperceptible, offset by wonderful freshness. Fine-grained tannins lead into a dry, austere, chalky and stony finish.
Light
Bold
Dry
Sweet
Soft
Acidic
Drinking and storing
Serve between 8ºC and 10ºC
Food pairing
To enjoy on its own / Afternoon/evening conversation / Tender meats / Poultry / Fish
Ratings and awards
2024
94+ PK
2023
94 PK
2022
92+ PK
2021
93 PK
2020
93 PK
2019
93 PK
PK: Parker
Customer reviews
4.3/5
8 reviews
Vintage:
Sort by:
by: Jo (06/06/2023) - Vintage 2021
0
Challenging wine
Initially, a funky aroma that blows off with time. Odd mineral quality too. The wine has a full body, oily character, medium acid and high alcohol, which burns on the finish.
by: Pedro (20/10/2021) - Vintage 2019
1
Imprescindible
Muy imprescindible. Hay que tener un par de botellas
by: Dieter (23/01/2019) - Vintage 2017
0
Ein herrliches Vergnügen
Der „Dido Blanc“ von „Sara Pérez i René Barbier“ ist ein Erlebnis. Er begeistert schon in seiner Konzeption, von der Idee der Nachhaltigkeit auf allen Ebenen, dem ökologischen Anbau in den Weinbergen, der faszinierenden Kellerarbeit, dem raffiniert ausbalancierenden Einsatz von großem Fass und Tonamphoren, und nicht zuletzt seine harmonische Komposition der drei Rebsorten. Doch nicht genug: Der „Dido Blanc“ ist vor allem ein außergewöhnlich sensorisches Erlebnis im Glas. Ein Wein mit Herz und Seele, wie von Sara Pérez gewollt. Hört man sie über ihre Weine und Ideen sprechen, teilt sich buchstäblich ihr Herzblut mit. Perfekte Weine aus der Komfortzone: wie langweilig! Die Seele ist ihr wichtiger. Ihr „Dido Blanc 2017“ ist weich, warm und anschmiegsam und bietet ein aufregend genussvolles Weinerlebnis. Zarte Aromen, reife Früchte und getrocknete Kräuter kitzeln die Nase. Am Gaumen extrem vielfältig, cremig, vollmundig, kräftig, würzig, üppige Frucht, angenehme Säure. Sehr komplex und fordernd. Ein herrliches Vergnügen.
by: Expatriator (07/07/2021) - Vintage 2019
0
Añada 2018
Con un gran punch, de alta acidez, amplio y seco en su paso por boca. En retronasal hay recuerdos ligeramente evolucionados, con apuntes fúngicos (champiñón) y algún toque floral como de manzanilla. Post-gusto sensacional, cremosito, con notas minerales y amaderadas y con ese puntito frutoso omnipresente. Redondean el conjunto las notas de evolución que le aportan señorío y elegancia. Sobresaliente trivarietal blanco del Monsant amigos
by: alfonsonorte (13/01/2018) - Vintage 2016
0
Muy bien hecho
La mezcla de uvas diversas enriquece los vinos. En Dido cada una le aporta sus matices, resultando un blanco equilibrado y con personalidad, con una sequedad contenida (macabeo o viura), un amargor refrescante muy controlado (cartoixà o xarello) y con potencia frutal (garnacha blanca), junto a un punto de mineralidad que le aporta el terroir. Me gusta tanto como los buenos falanghina, biancolella y vermentina italianos.
Winemaking
Ageing period
10 months
Type of wood
French oak
Vineyards
Vine age
Between 25 and 70 years
Climate
Mediterranean
The winery
Venus "La Universal"
La Universal is the small 4-hectare estate located in the Falset district where two weighty names in the wine world have come together: René Barbier (he is the 4th generation, with more than 20 years of experience in the family-run winery of Clos Mogador) and his wife, the assiduous oenologist Sara Pérez, daughter of Josep Lluís Pérez (Mas Martinet Viticultors). Under the Montsant D.O, the couple have put...