Domaine le roc des anges, roussillon
ADEGA GUIMARO, PEDRO RODRIGUEZ, Ríbeira Sacra – Organic
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- BODEGA GODEVAL, Valdeorras
- BODEGA LA PERDIDA, NACHO GONZALEZ, Valdeorras – Organic
- DOMINIO DEL UROGALLO , NICOLAS MARCOS, Cangas – Organic
- BASQUET CASE – A Tale of One Txakoli
- Wines from Granada/Almeria – Hola High Vineyards!
- BODEGAS BERNABE NAVARRO, RAFAEL BERNABE, Alicante – Organic
- RECAREDO, MATA CASANOVAS, Alt Penedes – Biodynamic
- SPAIN Continued… CELLER CAN CREDO, Penedes – Biodynamic
- LOXAREL, MITJAN, Penedes – Biodynamic
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ADEGA GUIMARO, PEDRO RODRIGUEZ, Ríbeira Sacra – Organic Pedro descends from a long line of colleteiras working in the Amandi area, Ribeira Sacra’s most prime subzone with south facing vineyards planted on slate, called Loxa locally, just above the river Sil. His parents Manolo and Carmen still work the vineyards daily. They also maintain a small finca of mixed agriculture, very common in Galicia, raising chickens, rabbits, pigs, and cultivating a sizable vegetable patch. The culmination of the family’s agrarian traditions manifested with the establishment of their adega in 1991. Before 1991, Pedro’s family produced small quantities of wine for their own consumption and sold their wine in garrafones 20 litre glass containers- to local cantinas. It was an oenologist from León and soon to be a close family friend, Luis Buitrón, who was instrumental in the creation of the Ribeira Sacra D.O. and helped the Rodríguez family begin estate-bottling their wines. They named their winery Guímaro, which means “rebel” in Gallego a nickname of Pedro’s grandfather. Guímaro was one of the first adegas to join the appellation in 1996. In the beginning the wines were simple jovenes, young wines that showed the slate-infused freshness of lush red fruit and supple texture, the kind of wines the area of Amandi was known for. They continue that tradition with their un-oaked Tinto an amazing value year in and year out. In the early 2000’s Luis Buitrón introduced Pedro –who by then was in charge of his family estate- to the great winemaker Raúl Pérez of Bierzo. Raúl helped Pedro see the potential of his old vine holdings to produce profoundly expressive and age- worthy single plot wines. This led to significant improvements in the vineyard, such as reducing yields of the commonly over- cropped Mencía grape, eliminating chemicals in the vineyards, and paying attention to the different plots’ expositions, which greatly helps to preserve natural acidity in the grapes. Old-fashioned winemaking methods were reclaimed as well: wild yeast fermentation, foot treading in open-top vessels, raspon (stems) inclusion, working with low sulphur, and aging in used barrels. This approach gives us Finca Meixemán, Finca Capeliños, and the new Finca Pombeiras, some of the most distinctive and age-worthy wines being produced today on the “Sacred Banks”. Never resting on his laurels, Pedro is leading his estate to organic certification. He has undertaken a massive project of planting heirloom grape varieties at the highest elevations in Amandi. Grapes like Caiño, Merenzao (Trousseau), Souson, Albariño and Treixadura will soon be part of Pedro’s never- ending search for authenticity in his native land. With this ever-evolving approach, no doubt, the future is looking bright at Guímaro .
2016 GUIMARO BLANCO W
GUIMARO CEPAS VIEJAS BLANCO W
2016 GUIMARO TINTO JOVEN R
GUIMARO FINCA MEIXEMAN R
2014 GUIMARO FINCA CAPELINOS R
GUIMARO FINCA POMBEIRAS R
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Godeval Winery is situated in the beautiful monastery of 13 th century monastery of Xagoaza, and is dedicated to the quality of the Godello grape. Only two wines are made – a classic style and a richer old vines wine. Vines in Valdeorras have an ancient heritage cultivated by the Romans who developed vineyards on the granitic and slate soils on the slopes bordering the River Sil. Godeval’s vines are planted in the 1970’s & 80s by the original founders of the winery on the steepest slopes and their south-facing aspect ensures maximum ripeness. Chemicals are virtually never used and harvest, needless to say, is manual. Soils are well-drained slates that both encourage deep root system whilst retaining the heat. The Godello has been reclaimed in Valdeorras as a noble indigenous variety. It is low yielding and gives wines of tremendous personality. Its aromatics are fruity (peach and ripe apple), floral and herbal with anise and fresh mint hints. Combined with the inherent lactic character of the grape and you have wines that work on several levels. 2015
VINA GODEVAL GODELLO W
2015 GODEVAL GODELLO CEPAS VELHAS W
GODEVAL REVIVAL W
Nacho farms his family’s vineyard which his grandmother had worked them all her life and he is bringing it back to life. This together with other plots which he rents or has purchased, totals 3ha, all old vines (70 years old minimum). Soils are either clay or granitic sand on a bedrock of slate or granite, depending on the site. Vineyard work is organic and Nacho uses only natural biodynamic treatments and indigenous vegetation cover. Work is done according to the lunar cycle. Nacho’s intention is for biodiversity within the monoculture. Similar principles apply in the winery. The white is 100% Godello fermented with ambient wild yeast ferments in old French oak barrels. Ageing continues in the same barrels until bottling around June following the harvest. No racking, fining, filtration and only a tiny amount of sulphur (less than 20ppm) is added a few days before bottling. The red is 70% Garnacha, 30% Mencia, whole bunches are placed in tinajas (amphora), alcoholic fermentation proceeds using wild yeast and is without temperature control. Malolactic fermentation takes place in old French oak barrels. Ageing continues in the same barrels until bottling around July following the harvest. No sulphur is added before bottling.
2014 GODELLO BLANCO W
2014 GODELLO ORANGE Or
2014
GARNACHA MENCIA TINTO R
, NICOLAS MARCOS, Cangas – Organic The tradition of grape growing and wine making in Asturias dates back to the 9 th century. Unfortunately, the current century has not been kind to this tradition. Odium, extreme weather, phylloxera and an unresponsive marketplace have all contributed to the decline of the region. But recently there is a new spark in Asturias. The region around Cangas del Narcea is currently classified as Vinos de Calidad de Cangas and there is a petition working to elevate it to official D.O. status. Although Dominio del Urogallo currently does not use the Calidad de Cangas label, they are, in fact, within the region and a driving force in raising the overall quality. Nicolás Marcos is the man behind Dominio del Urogallo. He came from Toro, where his family has been growing grapes and making wine for a number of generations. But Asturias enchanted him; he saw opportunity in the old vines, steep slopes, complex soils and cooler climate. So he left his established identity in Toro and began carving out a new one in Asturias. Nicolas now has about 14 hectares of vines, which he restored to health through biodynamic farming and restored structurally by back-breaking manual labour. He is striving to create a forum for the voice of Cangas to speak. This means using the local varieties, fermenting with indigenous yeast and making the wine with as little manipulation and intervention as possible. 14 hectares of biodynamically farmed vines from various parcels near Cangas del Narcea on often insanely steep slopes. Mencía, Albarín Tinto, Albarín Blanco, Carrasquín, Verdejo Tinto (Trousseau) and a host of autochthonous varieties are planted. Vines are generally old, planted on slate, quartz and anthracite. 2015
LA FANFARRIA BLANCO – Albarin, Albillo W
2015 PESICO BLANCO - Albarin W
LA FANFARRIA TINTO – Albarin Tinto, Mencia R
2014 PESICO TINTO – Verdejo Tinto, Albarin Tinto, Mencia, Carrasquin R
DOMINIO DEL UROGALLO CADARIO – Verdejo Tinto, Mencia R
2014 DOMINIO DEL UROGALLO RETORTOIRO – Verdejo Tinto R
DOMINIO DEL UROGALLO LA ZORRINA – Carrasquin + indigenous Asturian grapes R
2011 FLOR DEL NARCEA – 50cl – Albarin, Albillo Sw
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BODEGAS AMEZTOI, Txakoli de Getaria From Bilbao to San Sebastian Basque Txakoli (or Chacoli) made from the native Hondarrabi Zuri, is served in the pinxtos bars poured with great panache from a great height into small tumblers. The green-tinted liquid turns chalky- white, foams and eventually settles, retaining a lively spritz. The best wines are produced around the fishing village of Getaria where the vineyards are cut into incredibly steep terraced slopes overlooking the Bay of Biscay. Here you have a polyculture: apples, pears and tomatoes are planted, the vineyards are not weeded and no chemical sprays are used. The taste of Txakoli, well, to quote Dick Swiveller in the Old Curiosity Shop, it can’t be tasted in a sip. It should be a back of the throat job, waiting for that jolting appley sourness to kick in. Gird your loins with some Cantabrian anchovies, stuffed pimentos or smoked fish and let the Txak attack! Recommended by one writer as the perfect accompaniment to wild rabbit because it is the only wine wherein the acidity can dissolve lead shot. Now Txak comes fetchingly in rose-tinted pink, fragrantly floral (violets and irises) and typically effervescent, vivacious and aerial.
2016 TXAKOLI DE GETARIA W
2016 TXAKOLI DE GETARIA RUBENTIS ROSADO Ro
BASQUET CASE – A Tale of One Txakoli
Verde que te quiero verde, Verde viento. Verde ramas
Green I love you green. Green wind. Green branches. Federico García Lorca
People ask why Txakoli is so expensive and difficult to obtain outside the Basque country. After all it is the greenest of green wines, surely mere water off a Biscayan duck’s back. However, consider the tiny size of the average farm-holding; there are only a handful of producers who can lay claim to more than one hectare of vines and those vines teetering and straggling every which way on slopes, in dells and hollows, cheek-by-tendril with orchard trees and flower nurseries. The climate doesn’t help either being somewhat on the moist side. Then the elusiveness of the producers: the fabled siesta is rigorously observed and the notion of a winery office is faintly risible. It took us three expeditions to find our particular Txakoli and that’s a lot of sloshing and sluicing of crab-apple juice stomach-lined with piles of pinxtos. During the first exploratory trip we fetched up in San Sebastian where every request in every bar (and there were many) for white wine invariably brought out a plastic beaker and concomitant theatrics with the foaming apple-scented drizzle. The characteristic over-the-shoulder-pour hosed the fluid into the glass; it was dismissed rather than left the bottle as if the wine was saying “I don’t care, I’m out of here”. The chalky-hued Txakoli was tart, yet salty and curiously addictive – especially when you’re clenching a fistful of anchovies – a refreshing, cidery sea breeze. I loved it; here truly was a democratic wine; a non-vinous liquid that thumbed its nose at anything as pretentious as a wine glass.
Enchanted by its spritzy esprit we attempted to replicate the effervescent Txakoli experience wherever we went and with whatever white wine we drank. First stop Akelare, a two star Michelin joint perched on some cliffs, a few kilometres out of San Sebastian. The cuisine matched the soulless décor; it had been El Bullied in a sanitised way; there were splits and splots on spoons, bits of foam and other general flummery, but the overall effect was somewhat anaemic and in desperate need of enlivening. In the absence of Txakoli we ordered a bottle of Albariño, shook it vigorously underneath the table till the latent carbon dioxide erupted merrily over the dreary grey shag-pile, and craved something as substantial as an anchovy.
The Txakoli bug had bit, however, and when we returned to the region the following month it was inevitable that we would make the additional detour and drive up the coast along serpentine roads hugging the craggy cliffs pounded by the Biscayan waves in search of the green wine. We stopped in the small town of Guetaria with its hump-backed foreland, the heart of largest of the Txakoli Dos, and commenced our research by finding the best restaurant in town. We sauntered through an alleyway hemmed in by dark shuttered houses past a table of twenty or so locals enjoying a feast. A big banner was tied between two balconies and massive bubbling tureens of stew sat on the table. One half-expected to meet a snorting bull a-strolling up the corrida, as one serendipitously traipsed through these anfractuous cobbled streets. As we reached the harbour the alley unfolded revealing an eating area of numerous tables, families, peripatetic cats and a general flavour of human sunshine. The menu was written in five languages; the English being the most difficult to interpret. Eschewing the inevitable “fish balls” we slavered and slobbered as we watched waiters periodically appearing in order to toss a sizzling slab of bloody red beef or a huge winking turbot onto one of the arrays of thick ribbed griddles set into the brickwork of the inner harbour wall. Meanwhile gaily-coloured fishing boats drew up to the quay-side to offload their cargo of gleaming silvery-scaled denizens. It was a day to relax and toast the concept of mañana. With a glass or ten of Txakoli.
We sat and daintily munched fat white asparagus accompanied by puddles of aioli and ordered five bottles of Txakoli from different local producers. It was effectively a blind tasting since the artery-hardening “Xpealladocious” producer names meant nothing to us. Most of the wines were pleasant but as insubstantial as the Atlantic-spumed air, but the Ameztoi had fruit and structural bite and that was the bottle we finished.
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grubby jeans drying on the wires. Eventually we happened on an old man making his way slowly up the hill and Eric got out of the car to ask directions. The old man was jabbering away animatedly, pointing first in one direction then another, evidently giving exhaustive instructions. Eric was nodding furiously, smiling and thanking him all at the same time. “What did he say?” I asked “I have no idea. I couldn’t understand a single word.”
We drove away leaving the old man waving at us on the brow of the hill and delved through tiny little hedgerow-squeezed roads until we came back on ourselves on the outskirts of Guetaria. Eric reversed the car and drove back up the hill, whereupon we came upon the old man again, looking puzzled, but still waving…
After numerous dead ends and multiple re-encounters with our old man whose omnipresence quite unnerved us we finally found the bodega, walked round, called out, but all was quiet except a one-eyed collie dog. This was evidently one extended siesta.
The next day we revisited the estate, successfully avoiding the old man of the sea on our peregrinations and met Ignacio Ameztoi, a vast bear of a man, who showed us around his cellar, accompanied by five bouncing dogs of all shapes and sizes. We tasted the wine again, all spritz and spume, in a wine glass of all things. It was Txakoli after all.
promulgating the virtues of supermarket wines. Whilst one applauds enthusiasm and a proselytising zeal, everything in the garden of wine is not always blooming. For every Oddbins quip “No Spain No Gain”, one might counter with “Much Spain, Very Plain”.
- The Alternative Wine Glossary
Granada has everything to offer, from
the Alhambra and the Albaicin to the intimate corners of nineteenth century Romanticism; from the enchantment of Oriental art to the dawn of the Gothic; from the flowering of the Renaissance to the exuberant brilliance of the Baroque. And if, from the point of view of the Arts, this rich diversity is overwhelming in its vitality without the dominance of one unilateral theme, Nature for her part provides analogous contrasts. In some places there is ruggedness, in other a delicacy full of half-tones; here is a city neither of the mountain no of the plain. The Sierra and the lowland intertwine in a strange arabesque and this gives the landscape both strength and extraordinary variety. From the foot of the mountains to their summit there is an ascent of more than three thousand metres and from the region of perpetual snow it is possible to descend, in barely an hour, to a coast where every tropical fruit abounds. It would be difficult to find a land richer in variety and contrasts or one evoking emotions of greater depth and diversity.”
Antonio Gallego y Burin – Granada: An Artistic and Historical Guide to the City … and the vines Eastern Andalucía is the most mountainous part of Spain (including Spain’s highest peak, Mulhacen, at 11,424 ft (3, 482 m) and has the second-highest vineyards in Europe. The combination of merciless sun all day and a massive temperature drop at night allows bodegas to make wines of quite astonishing quality.
The Alpujarra mountains are a particularly high-quality area, split between Contraviesa-Alpujarra in the province of Granada and Laujar- Alpujarra in the province of Almeria, with vineyards to 4,488 ft (1,368 m) making nearly mile-high wines of an extraordinary complexity, especially whites from the Vigiriega grape (extinct everywhere else on the mainland) and reds from Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The soil is schist, and there are no insect pests and almost no cryptogams at these altitudes.
- 210 - BODEGAS BERNABE NAVARRO, RAFAEL BERNABE, Alicante – Organic These are pure, “minimal intervention” wines at the forefront of Spain’s slow move towards more elegant, terroir driven styles from Alicante, South-East Spain where the climate is hot, humid and Mediterranean near the coast becoming drier and more continental further inland. Famous for its sweet Moscatels (fortified) and Fondillón (unfortified aged rancio style, semi- sweet Monastrell), they are now making very interesting dry wines from local grape varieties. The white called Tinajas (clay jars) de la Mata is a blend of 60 % Merseguera, 35 % Moscatel, 5 % others Merseguera is planted in small quantities across SE Spain, mainly in Valencia but also parts of Tarragona and Jumilla. Late ripening and can cope with scarce rainfall, it has traditionally produced quite neutral whites. This is a coastal region with sandy dunes formed by sea fossils. This high sandy content (80%) means that these vineyards survived the invasion of phylloxera and remained on traditional roots. The vines are 50-70 yr old dry-grown bush vine, viticulture is organic (no herbicides or manmade products). Grapes are hand harvested. Fermentation with wild yeasts takes place at 15 deg in amphorae of 450l, 300l & 250l. After a natural cold stabilization over December, January & February the wine ages a further six months in amphora without batonnage or additions of SO2. The wine is botted without fining or filtration The wine has an intriguing golden yellow colour with a hint of orange, an attractive fresh, mineral, saline, floral nose and is equally delightful in the mouth, showing a lovely contrast between fresh citrus/intense minerality and ripe stone/fleshy fruit flavours. La Amstad is 100% Rojal. Not much is known of this local variety. Once planted widely in the 19 th century around South-East Spain for both eating and wine when irrigated it gives very large bunches and yields copious litres of juice. When not irrigated it gives a very thick skin which lends itself to late harvesting and for keeping stored over the winter months so families could continue eating grapes for up to 6 months after harvesting. It is of rustic character with marked salty and mineral touches. The vines, from a 1.14 ha limestone and broken granite vineyard, are 50-60 yrs old dry-grown bush vines grown at altitude. Viticulture is always organic. Grapes are hand harvested. In the winery they use 80% destemmed grapes. After a 10 hour maceration, the free-run juice transferred to 1700ltr French oak casks, and undergoes a 25 day fermentation (wild yeasts). 20% whole bunch, semi-carbonic maceration. Malolactic in French oak casks (4/5 yrs old). Minimal addition of SO2, no enzymes, no fining or filtration. The colour is cherry red, the nose fresh and approachable with ripe red fruits, with some floral and herbal touches A fresh, lively, fruity red, very drinkable with a lovely mineral finish. Cipresses Usaldon Tinto is 100% Garnacha Peluda (aka Lledoner Pelut) Garnacha Peluda is a mutation of the Garnacha (Grenache) grape so-called because the underside of the leaves have a hairy (“peluda”) appearance. This variant also provides lower alcohol levels and colour than Garnacha. From a 50 yr old, dry-grown, bush vine 6.8 has parcel “Pago de Los Cipreses”. Made in the same way as La Amistad, but with a longer maceration. The wine undergoes more elevage and has great substance allied to sheer drinkability. It has spicy, herbal, juniper and liquorice notes with flavours of strawberry and raspberry and crunchy stoniness. Benimaquia is fermented on Moscatel skins in tinajas of various sizes; this maritime flame-hued beauty has the seductive aromas of Moscatel mixed with Rafa’s signature conventual purity, sapid salinity and phenolic spice-crusted fruitskins. Two new reds need to detain your attention. Ramblis Monastrell is from 60-70 year old vines grown at 700m altitude in Villena-Alicante. 50% whole cluster and 50% destemmed, with six months in 1-4 year old French oak. So much for the numbers. This Ramblis boasts a brambly and herbal nose of hibiscus, rosewater, mulberries, and fresh cut oregano. Broad and spicy boysenberry fruit fills the mouth, accompanied by violet flowers, crushed black pepper, and ripe purple plums. The age of these vines provides great concentration and acidity without weight. Balsamic and cedary, but also extremely fresh, Monastrell doesn’t get tastier than this. Produced from the obscure, native Forcayat grape and old vines grown on limestone and granite, Ramblis del Arco is then raised in both French oak and local acacia barrels and made as naturally as Rafa’s other wines. More importantly, it is an amazingly delicious, expressive, intensely-flavoured red wine, that makes you want to drink it, As Alice Feiring writes crisply: “It screams place and has plenty of bones.”
2015 ACEQUION PET NAT Sp
2015
TIPPZY PET NAT Sp
2013
FLOR DE LA MATA- tinajas W
2013 TINAJAS DE LA MATA – tinajas W
EL CARRO MOSCATEL W
2015 BENIMAQUIA TINAJAS – tinajas Orange
BERINYA R
2014 PELIGRES TINTO R
LA AMISTAD – tinajas R
2014 TRAGO LARGO MONASTRELL R
TRAGOLARGO MONASTRELL – 5 litre BIB R
2016 MUSIKANTO ROSADO – tinajas Ro
- 211 - RECAREDO, MATA CASANOVAS, Alt Penedes – Biodynamic When someone asks me whether we list a cava it is usually a not so coded demand for something light, effervescent and cheap. Especially cheap. The idea that cava could come from organically farmed vineyards and be crafted with the same care as champagne might surprise many people, even those defenders of Spanish wines who write cava off a mediocre aberration. This is the story of Cava Recaredo, one of the few wines to buck the cava bargain bucket trend. It ain’t cheap, but then it ain’t your normal cava. Andrew Jefford has some positive news. From World of Fine Wine. “At its best, it is a sparkling wine which is emphatically not structured by acidity – and hence doesn’t need dosage (though many great Cavas do have some dosage). Its informing beauties are those of fragrance and aroma. It glides and floats rather than slices and incises. It is flowery and languid, yet at the same time complex and mouthfilling. It is an archetypical Mediterranean white, lifted and amplified by bubbles. Not only is acidity relatively unimportant in its architecture, but fruit flavours, too, may be recessive by cool-climate standards: a hallmark of Mediterranean whites. Far from ‘gaining nothing’ by time spent on yeast or in post-disgorgement ageing, ambitious Cava gains almost everything from these processes, precisely because its intrinsic fruit notes – in contrast to its primary aromatics – are so muted. Time spent on yeast is what amplifies, layers and refracts its primary aromatic profile, and this complex aromatic weave laid gently on the downy, quiescent Catalan fruits is what lends the best Cava its magnificence and its grandeur. (After that eloquent panegyric even I might give cava a whirl.) In 1878, Recaredo Mata Figueres was born in the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. In 1924, his son, Josep Mata Capellades, began to work in the world of cava and produce a few bottles for himself. Josep built cellars in his house, in the historic centre of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. Some parts of the cellars are over 80 years old, and have been conserved retaining their original form. He forged Recaredo’s identity, based on know-how, professionalism and hard work. He marked the way forward in his own style, pioneering totally dry cavas, the Cavas Brut Nature, and working with oak barrels and longer-aged cavas. Recaredo is currently managed by Josep and Antoni (Ton) Mata Casanovas, the sons of its founder. The special work begins in the vineyard. Recaredo seek to ensure the natural balance of the vine, aiming to achieve the best expression of every individual vintage. Therefore, the viticulture is based on dry farming with grapes harvested by hand. They prioritise respect for biodiversity and the environment: cultivating vines without using herbicides or insecticides and only employing natural organic fertilisers. When ripening begins, the grapes are analysed vine by vine, plot by plot, the goal being to harvest the grapes at their optimum point of ripening, to obtain the most balanced musts and the very finest wines. The entire harvesting process is carried out by hand, since it is only in this way that proper care for the grape until pressing can be guaranteed and premature oxidation (a characteristic of so many cheap cavas) can be avoided. All these vines are close to the cellars and transportation of the grapes is carried out using small trailers. The grape must is obtained by gently pressing the grapes, thereby obtaining the highest-quality part of the must. Debourbage follows and then the first fermentation where the yeasts transform the sugars to produce the base wine. Over the winter, the wine remains in contact with its finest lees, giving it volume and body and becomes naturally clarified. The grape juice from the oldest Xarel·lo vines ferment in oak barrels yielding structure and greater complexity for longer-aged cavas. Some of the base wine is aged in oak barrels for some months. This wine will be used to add greater finesse and structure to the final blending. The secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle, with the yeasts transforming the sugar to produce the cava’s bubbles and foam. The subsequent interaction of the yeasts or the lees and the wine during the in-bottle ageing will give more complex flavours and aromas. The riddling process, a gentle, precise daily movement, always carried out by hand in the classic, traditional racks, allows the lees to descend to the bottle’s cork and prepares the bottle for the expulsion of the lees: the disgorging which consists in the expulsion of the lees accumulated during the ageing process. At Recaredo, this is carried out on an exclusively manual basis, at the cellars’ natural temperature, without freezing the necks of the bottles. Terres Nature Gran Reserva comes from dry-farmed organic vineyards in the Alt Penedes zone and is made from a blend of Xarel.lo (46%), Macabeu (36%) and Parellada (18%). The wine is a Brut Nature, completely dry. It has wonderful chalky minerality with notes of nutmeg and ginger. There is a wonderful fleshy texture redolent of poached pears. “Brut de Brut” Brut Nature Gran Reserva is made with grapes from the old vineyards on moderately deep loamy and loamy- clay calcareous soils, with the presence of some gravel, located around the villages of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Torrelavit and Subirats, in the Alt Penedès region. These vineyards yield high quality grapes giving wines of elegant expression and fine concentration. The blend is 36% Xarel.lo and 64% Macabeu and the wine is aged for a minimum of 67 months in the bottles. All the “Xarel·lo” grapes are fermented in oak barrels for added complexity. Well-upholstered wine with green plum and apple aromas. The palate is deep, pure, structured, vinous, long and rich with resonant acidity. In 1962, Josep Mata Capellades created the Reserva Particular de Recaredo Cava with the idea of being able to convey the delicateness and subtle complexity that a cava that has undergone a very long ageing can achieve. Faithful to this idea, it is a cava that represents the Mediterranean in its purest form, interprets the calcareous lands of the Alt Penedès and shows the character of the oldest vines. Reserva Particular de Recaredo is 60% Macabeu and 40% Xarel·lo. The Xarel·lo was fermented in small “oak casks” to imbue the final cava with more structure and elegance. It stays at least nine years and six months in contact with its own “lees” until the final removal of the sediment, carried out manually without freezing the bottle neck. It is a completely dry Brut Nature, with no added sugar. An extraordinary wine with aromas and flavours of the Mediterranean. Think hawthorn, almond-blossom, sweet hay, fennel, warm earth and green herbs. Amazing length. 2010
BRUT NATURE GRAN RESERVA “TERRES” Sp
2007
“BRUT DE BRUT” BRUT NATURE GRAN RESERVA Sp
2005
RESERVA PARTICULAR DE RECAREDO Sp
2005
TURO D’EN MOTA – very limited availability Sp
2012
INTENS ROSAT BRUT NATUR Sp/Ro
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Continued…
Xarel·lists: a term coined to describe those who interpret and explore the properties and virtues of the Xarel·lo grape variety. The Mediterranean variety Xarel·lo is the leitmotif of Celler Credo’s wine project and the thematic thread that gives rise to our wines. Aged on the lees, macerated with the grape skin or stems, with no sulphites added – made today using techniques we learned from our grandparents yesterday… In short, a thousand and one ways of interpreting Xarel•lo. In other words, Xarel·lo is our credo. At Celler Credo they see ourselves as defenders of bio (life) and dynamics (movement). We’re guided by values that bring us closer to the land, territories and landscapes of which we form part. Is this, perhaps, the path to reconciling man and nature? Maybe. They are also committed to making terroir white wines – without chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides – wines that speak plainly, recounting a sensory history that’s free of artifice, authentic. This is a dialogue between man, the variety and the land; a conversation in which there’s much to say and nothing to hide. Xarel•lo wines that chatter; vines that give up their claim to the starring role in a vineyard inhabited by fennel, wild radish, yellow fleabane … by insects and animals that each contribute in their own small way to an ecosystem which, to express its true nature, needs something as easy to say as it is difficult to achieve: balance. Aloers’ was the name given to farmers in the Middle Ages who owned the land that they cultivated. They were free of any duty to pay rent or render service. Aloers is made by allowing the must to macerate for a few hours with the stems and then leaving the wine on the lees for approximately two months. Offers the freshest, most genuine expression of the Mediterranean Xarel·lo grown on calcareous soils. Miranius’, a clever fox who ventures into the vineyards and is delighted by the sweet aromas of the grapes Miranius is a young wine that is very vibrant and ages well in the bottle. It is made mainly from the Mediterranean variety Xarel·lo, with subtle notes of Macabeu. Miranius has strong varietal character with crisp acidity and a good palate. ‘Capficat’: a branch that’s buried –without being cut from the stump it grows from– and gives life to a new vine. The white wine Capficat is made using grapes from a Xarel·lo vineyard owned by Celler Credo and planted in 1940. Capficat epitomizes purity and transparency. It contains no added sulphites, only those naturally produced by yeasts during the fermentation process. It is an unclarified and unfiltered wine that reflects the quality of the grapes used and the work done in the vineyard. Must fermentation takes place in oak barrels, and the wine is then left in the barrels for approximately one month. L’Estrany – offers something inexplicable to pique one’s curiosity. Was our grandparents’ wine estrany (strange)? Estrany is made using an age-old technique from the time when wine was macerated with the grape skin. This contact with the skin is taken to the limit to showcase the Xarel·lo variety in a frank, uncompromising way that captures all its depth and rough-edged elegance. Can Credo wine offers the maximum varietal expression of the Xarel·lo grape grown in a calcareous soil in a Mediterranean climate. This is why, when making it, this white wine ismacerated with the grape skins and the pressing yield is very low, the most elegant and subtle fraction of the must. The must is fermented in oak cask, after which the wine stays in the cask for about one month. The grapes from Celler Credo in the county of Alt Penedès (Barcelona). All of the vineyards have been cultivated in accordance with the principles of organic, biodynamic agriculture. Plant cover grow spontaneously between the vines This cover plays a crucial role, loosening the soil, regulating water retention and drainage (essential in the dry farming system we practise), and helping to foster biodiversity and maintain a balance in the vineyard ecosystem. Natural treatments based on medicinal plants (phytotherapy) are applied to the vines to control the presence of fungus and strengthen the vine’s defences in a natural way. All Celler Credo grapes are harvested by hand to ensure the excellent quality of the fruit. All our wines are produced and bottled on the property. Aloers is made by allowing the must to macerate for a few hours with the stems and then leaving the wine on the lees for approximately two months. At Celler Credo they produce limited volumes from their vineyards and keep a close eye on maturation. This approach allows them to achieve a fresh and natural acidity. Aloers offers the freshest, most genuine expression of the Mediterranean Xarel·lo grown on calcareous soils. Celler Credo’s team wants to ensure a wine of great vivacity that can have a long life in the bottle. This wine may display completely natural sediments. . 2014
ALOERS W
2014 MIRANIUS W
CAPFICAT W
2013 ESTRANY
W
2013 CAN CREDO W
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2016
A PEL ANCESTRAL ~ Xarel.lo Sp/W
2016
XAREL.LO AMFORA W
2016 CORA ~ Muscat, Sauvignon, Xarel.lo W
OPS SAMSO/GARNACHA R
2016 PETIT ARNAU ROSADO ~ Pinot Noir, Merlot Ro
JANE VENTURA, Penedes – Organic The cellars, located in the region of Baix Penedès (Tarragona), have been dedicated to the world of wine since 1914 when their great-grandfather Josep first began selling wine to the local market. Grandfather Albert founded the first cellar in 1930 and his son, Benjamín, made the definitive step towards high quality winemaking in 1985, when he began bottling the first white and rosé wines, followed by the first cavas in 1990 and red wines in 1991. Two of his five sons, Albert and Gerard, have joined him in steering the cellar towards ever-increasing standards of quality. The Blanc Seleccio is made from fifteen different vineyards, either owned by the property (Mas Vilella and Finca Els Camps) or by quality growers of the Baix Penedès area. All the Xarel.lo comes from old vines. The blend is Xarel·lo (65%), Muscat de Frontignac (18%), Garnacha (15%) and Malvasía de Sitges (5%). Cold-temperature skin maceration of the must achieves greater aromatic expression and more structure on the palate. Then the must is pressed, drawn off, allow to settle for 24 hours and then fermented at low temperature (17º C) in inox vats. The wine is elegant and complex, showing predominantly citrus (grapefruit) and exotic fruit notes, along with white flower, fresh almond, fennel, and anise nuances. Rich, powerful, neat and unctuous on the palate, it somehow repeats the complex aromatic pattern it has on the nose, with great balance and structure. The Rosat is a blend of old vines Sumoll, Ull de Lebre (Tempranillo), Merlot and Syrah. Brilliant rose cherry intense colour. Fresh, fragrant nose with predominantly primary notes of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, red flowers and aniseed nuances. On the attack it reveals a pleasant character, round and rich in fruit notes, with a balanced, refreshing acidity and a long aftertaste. A wine that invites 213elabel and conviviality. The red is the same blend as the rosé, the Syrah and Tempranillo from the richer inland soils, whilst the Sumoll and Cabernet come from the sandy terrain next to the sea. Deep cherry colour of a brilliant intensity and abundant tears and richness. On the nose it shows predominantly red and blackberry notes, and some fine spicy, liquorice, violets and undergrowth nuances. The palate is rich, round, full of expression, with good structure, some ripe, grainy tannins and a fresh, long aftertaste. The Sumoll grape provides both freshness and a lovely ‘rough’ character, while the Syrah affords a more modern, juicy fruit touch.
2015 BLANC SELECCIO W
2015 ROSAT SELECCIO Ro
NEGRE SELECCIO R
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