Wines of Catalunya
Shop photograph courtesy of the mgmt
If there were a potion to break through the post holiday blues of January - It would need to convey freshness, buoyancy and optimism, but also the strength to make the lift. Wines of Catalunya have long filled all those categories, and even more so in recent generations who are leaving behind oaky notes and international varieties, in favor of indigenous grapes, anfora and neutral vessel aging. Thanks to recent innovators in Catalan wine, a lid has been flipped!
Even the most buttoned-up of Catalan reds, such as the highest designated appellation, DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) in Priorat, still maintains a fresh pop of red berry and herb zest from the Garnacha in their blends. No doubt the Mediterranean breezes put their fingerprint on the wines as well.
As sea-ports and sometimes kingdoms of Greek and Phoenician traders in ancient days, and by absorbing ingredients and influence from Sephardic and Moorish cuisines during the middle ages (leeks, legumes, and Sephardic mother-sauces like sofrito and romesco), several culinary waves shaped Catalan wine over the centuries, with regional cuisine in turn being shaped by the wine.
One example of this symbiosis was that after the fall of Franco the focus of Priorat underwent a renaissance by moving away from mass production and toward vineyard-site expressions. In a synchronous timeline, from the mid-1960's to 2006 the chefs of El Bulli were shaping the birth of Modernist Cuisine. This movement toward a nuanced and essence focused cuisine can be seen as mirrored by a resurgence of indigenous grapes in the late 90's and early 00's is still keeping pace with the ever growing density of Michelin starred restaurants in Catalunya (perhaps second only to the Basque Country, in terms of stars per hectare in a region). In this way the wine and cuisines moved, and continue to move together in tandem, like two pedals turning the same wheel.
The revival in popularity of amphora use is widely relevant in Catalan wines of the past 15 years, and from our shop we offer several selections which are amphora fermented, aged, and even bottled for market in clay. Amphora were the primary wine vessel for both transportation and storage prior to the Roman era (during which oak was obtained from Germanic lands). Joan Franquet of Costador produces amphora wines in a full circle, from which even the individual bottles are made of site-sourced clays, and so the entire life of the wines from vine to market see soil types as their companion at each stage. Costador's 100% Sumoll holds a unique slot in our list as it is an indigenous / autochthonous variety to Catalunya and is one of many vineyards by Costador which are farmed with all biodynamic methods. The body of this wine is light enough for sardines and squid, but tannic enough for sausages and richer flavors.
Clos Lentiscus Rose N 41 is a method traditionelle (champagne method) sparkler from "Bubbleman" Manel Avinyó, grown in the Garraf Massif region, a natural park. Several of Manel's sparkling wines are nuanced with rosemary honey from the estate's bees, which also pollinate the vineyards. All of Clos Lentiscus' wines present as elevated and gastronomic, but with Rose N 41 as a starting point, even moreso.
El Soci from Bodega Clandestina comes with a metaphor that does not require digging into bedrock. The unhinged lock on the label stands for the part of Catalan culture which socially aligns with all of Spain - The warmth of a greeting, and appreciation of time spent in social and familial settings... Never neglecting to acknowledge a person entering or leaving a room; even an elevator. Everyone who tries El Soci might not be up for cheek kisses among acquaintances but this relaxed style of old-vine Malvasia has a way of bringing a full house into a synchronous appreciation of time well-sipped.
