Rim: The Liquid Soul of Slate
Jordi Esteve and the legacy of ancient vines
In Rabós d’Empordà, Jordi Esteve has turned the recovery of abandoned terraces into a manifesto of radical viticulture. Rim is more than a winery; it is a sensory tribute to slate, the tramuntana wind, and the collective memory of a village.
Reclaiming a Landscape of Llicorella
Barcelona/Newsroom, January 15, 2026
The Rim project stems from Jordi Esteve’s fascination with the rugged terrain of the Albera, a corner of Empordà where winemaking is an act of resistance. At the heart of his work is the restoration of centenarian plots in Rabós, many of which sit on dry-stone terraces that had been sentenced to oblivion.
The soil here is purely mineral, dominated by llicorella (slate)—a material that forces roots to search for life deep underground, granting the wines an electric tension and austere elegance. Esteve is an artisan-viticulturist who views the landscape as living heritage. His close collaboration with village elders, such as the legendary Jan de l’Anna, has allowed generations of oral tradition to be transferred directly into the glass, preserving a mosaic of native varieties that define the area’s true identity.
Local Varieties and a Reverence for Silence
The philosophy at Rim avoids trends to embrace purity. In the fields, farming is organic and strictly manual—a necessity imposed by the steep topography and a desire to leave the ecosystem undisturbed. In the cellar, intervention is nearly invisible: grapes ferment with their own wild yeasts, and the wines undergo no aggressive filtering or fining that might strip away their truth.
The stars are the traditional varieties: Black Carignan and White, Grey, and Black Grenache, alongside rarities like White Carignan and Picapoll. This respect for natural cycles ensures each vintage is a faithful portrait of the Empordà climate. The goal is not standardized technical perfection, but the maximum expression of fruit and soil, resulting in wines of brutal honesty.
A Collection of Wines with Their Own Story
Every bottle of Rim narrates a fragment of Rabós’ history through precise sensory architecture. The Jan line (White and Red) represents the solemnity of the oldest vines, offering deep structure and vibrating minerality. In contrast, Sarau is a celebration of freshness and vitality. Personal pieces like Tot d’una—a singular blend of three Grenaches from a single vineyard—or Vides Velles, where Black Carignan shows its most sophisticated side, complete a catalog of very limited productions.
For the collector, these wines are objects of ephemeral art—witnesses to an Empordà that refuses to vanish and finds its most authentic, free, and transcendent voice in the hands of Jordi Esteve. #Naturalwines
Find Out More >>
>> Web: Rim Empordà
>> Instagram: @rim.vinyesemporda
“Every bottle of Rim explains a fragment of the history of Rabós through a precise sensory architecture.”
>> >>> You can purchase Rim wines and explore the details of each label at their online store.
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