THE SPANISH NATIVE WINE CASE
Case of 6
One of the main questions that I get asked weekly is why do I love Spanish wine? What is it about the Iberian Peninsula that gets me excited? Very simply, it is that the grape growers and winemakers absolutely champion their own varietals with immense pride that they make simply stunning wine that you will not find anywhere else on the planet. That, coupled with the fact that there is a new wave of young, vibrant producers coming through that quite frankly flick the “V’s” at the authorities and their rules, means this is a brilliant, forward thinking and adventurous wine country that always delivers.
So, to celebrate the region, we have put together a case of 6 wines that I think are absolutely wonderful, from friends I have known for years and import into the UK.
In this case will be:
1x 2021 Masia de le Roqua Ulivel-la, Penedes
Grape: 95% Xarel.lo, 5% Malvasia de Sitges
Winemaker Jot Camps loves his country. The rugged, terroir of the Massis del Garraf to the south west of Barcelona. Here the soils are thin (maximum 1m of depth) and the underlying rock is primarily limestone. This ensures that all of his wines have a characteristic acidity and liveliness.He works small plots of vines following strict Organic (certified) and Biodynamic philosophies and believes in 360o farming, with not just vines planted but fruit tree, olive groves, animals and other wildlife, creating biodiversity.
The Xarel.lo is broken into 3 parcels and each one is treated slightly differently. 1 part undergoes a semi carbonic maceration, 1 part is macerated on its skins for a night and the last part is pressed and fermented with the 5% Malvasia. Only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation and only very small amounts of sulpher are ever added when needed.
apple | quince | textural
1x 2019 Estones Dry PX, Terra Alta
Grape: Pedro Ximenez
A very 'unique' wine, coming from an incredibly rare parcel of PX owned by female viticulturist 'Montse'. It was earmarked for scrubbing up, until found by the Estones guys who insisted on making wine from it. PX is very difficult to handle, giving very low juice yield, having high pectins and raisining easily too. The wine is left on the skins for the fermentation and on lees for 6 months after. There is no oak at all.
quince | honey | apricot
1x 2022 Pepa Porter Godello, Monterrei, Rias Baixas
Grape: Godello
The Godello Pepa Porter is the result of a careful work in the field and the rest in the winery for 4 months on fine lees, by using the best Godello grapes.
The area is subject to hot and dry summers, as well as to pretty cold winters.These wines come from autochthonous vines that adapt very well to the soils of the Monterrei region.
Three types of soils are present: slaty and schistose soils, ideal during dry seasons; granitic and sandy, which come from the degradation of the granitic rocks and present a low pH; and sedimentary, which are quite complex soils due to the mixture of materials.
citrus fruits | stone fruits | floral
1x 2021 Milagritos Tinto by Orly Lumbreras, Navalmoral, Sierra de Gredos
Grape: Garnacha
This is a wine very close to Graeme’s heart. He is great friends with the over the top Orly and even has been known to help make some wine here every now and then!
Organic and Biodynamic viticulture. No added sulpher. Fermented in stainless steel with 20% being destemmed. Malolactic occurs. 3 months of aging in 225ltr 4th fill barrels then blended and rested for 6 months before release.
lively | cherry | black raspberries
1x 2020 Parajes del Cabriel by Bruno Murciano & Co, Utiel-Requena
Grape: Crujidera, Garnacha, Moravia, Tintorera Royal
Another of Graeme’s good friends, they first worked together in London in 2008. Bruno has since returned to his family roots, making wine in his home village with his brother. This is his calling card wine with a big blend of indigenous Valenciano grapes that has a lovely silky texture, well balanced tannins and acidity and light fresh notes make this a very easy drinking red! We love this so much.
field blend | silky | fresh
1x 2020 Adega Sernande Vertixe Mencia, Ribera Sacra
Grape: Mencia, Souson
Adega Sernande is a project born of the friendship between Ribeira Sacra natives María Aira Pumar and Antonio López Casas and Gredos vigneron Orly Lumbreras. The heart of Adega Sernande is the historic winemaking village of Vilachá de Salvadur, home to an epic panorama of slate and schist terraces of vines, stacked straight up from the shores of the Sil. This is the steep, swirling vista that gave Orly Lumbreras 'vertixe' (“vertigo” in Gallego) the first time he visited Vilachá. María’s father used to have a winery in the area and her brother farms the family’s vines. Her razor-sharp palate quickly became the guide for Adega Sernande’s aesthetic. Antonio is a relentless vineyard sleuth, scouring the Ribeira Sacra’s legendary twists and turns for hidden vineyard gems that the Sernande team can adapt, explore, and interpret. The results are sensitive micro-vinifications that reveal layers of this region through an exciting new lens.
bold | rich | pepper