Appellation: none
Cuvée: Parellada
Colour: White
Grapes: Parellada
About: Pure Parellada, this is from a vine that normally would be part of the 5.7 blend but took its own direction in the amphora and was deemed worth bottling separately because it was so different, so fine, with an almost pure mineral water, mountain stream, very vegetal fruit character. Beautifully digestible and just 9.5%. The label shows a close-up of a section of the trunk of an almond tree. The log is dry and is an important element in the heating of the house during the winter. This almond tree produced a crop of almonds for the family’s economy.
Vines
Location: Espluga
Size ha: selected from 2.5
Age: vines planted in 1984 and 2000
Soils: ancient limestone terraces that keep nonetheless humidity
Exposition: various
Altitude: 425m
Training: cordon double royat
Farming: biodynamic, cover crops, grasses, herbs, and flowers adding to soil health, retention of moisture, and bio-diversity
Average yield hl/ha: 30
Climate: Mediterranean with fresh nights
Winemaking
The fruit was gently crushed into stainless steel tank where it macerated on its skins for a week before being pressed off. It used to be moved to an underground 150 year old 800 litre amphora from a Miravet ceramicist who sources from la Mancha. There’s a different quality of earth and firing due to its age, which creates a different synergy with the wine. 2020 and 2021 were made in inox.
Vintage Notes 2017
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: September 17
Bottles produced: 1,000
Date bottled: 2018-04
Alcohol %: 9.21
SO2 Total: < 4
Tasting: Wine like water! There’s a very fine lemon, peach, garden herb and white pepper fruit character perceptible but this wine is almost about sensation, just a gentle caressing of the palate and mouthwatering digestibility.
Vintage notes 2018
Hot and dry year for most part. However, rain end July caused some mildew, particularly loss of some Parellada.
Not made.
Vintage notes 2019
Very hot and dry year for the most part. But there was a good rainfall end July and middle of August to aid a perfect maturation. Stylistically rich, full fat fruit.
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: August 10
Bottles produced: 900
Date bottled: 2020-06
Alcohol %: 10
SO2 Total: < 4
Tasting: light yet intense, digestible, crisp, ripe acidity, very fine and pure and airy, aromas of lemon, apple, pear, hints of exotic fruits lend complexity, great umami.
finished 2021-02-23
Vintage notes 2020
Made in Inox
A very challenging year in all ways, with heavy and persistent rain causing mildew problems and widescale loss of fruit. But the season finished well with fine weather during summer and harvest time and some purchases of fruit to make up for some losses.
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: early october
Bottles produced: 1,230
Date bottled: 2021-02-12
Alcohol %: 10
SO2 Total: < 4
Tasting: 2021-02-23 from tank although some is bottled, nose of lemon, pear, mineral salts, then quite compact sturdy core texture, great acidity but gentle. interesting tension core, weight, weightlessness,
2021-07-27 from bottle – lean, pear, vegetal on the nose, lemon, herbal on palate, clean, and cleansing, very refreshing.
Vintage notes 2021
Another challenging year due to drought and high temperatures (and covid restrictions) but it was bookended by rains in Spring and in September that provided freshness and focus to the wines. It was a very long harvest from late August to end October. The yield was finally surprisingly good and the wines have a great balancing vegetal acidity.
Yield hl/ha: 20
Harvested: early October
Bottles produced: 1,200
Date bottled: 2022–01-27
Alcohol %: 10
SO2 Total: < 4
Tasting: 2021-12-16 Fresh, with tension and fat. Really good. Clean lemon, green apple, ripe yet tense, with peach blossom complexity.