Why You Should Be Drinking More Catalan Wine
Why You Should Be Drinking More Catalan Wine
My homage to Catalonia's wine, which remains underappreciated even as we see more on cutting-edge lists. Here's my guide to some of the best.
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Americans tend to think of “Spanish wine” monolithically. Media and wine educators often offer the condensed, abridged version: Tempranillo, Albariño, sherry, Cava. No other major wine country is given as short shrift as Spain. No one would cover the wines of France or Italy as a simple, single entity. It would be unthinkable, for instance, to interpret the wines from Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto, Alto Adige, or Sicily—each with its unique culture—under the catch-all rubric of “Italian wine.” Similarly, we expect to learn about Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Rhône, or Loire as separate regions with distinct styles and histories.
Not so with Spain. The diversity of wine on the Iberian Peninsula remains relatively misunderstood. This becomes especially clear when we talk about wines from Catalonia. It’s likely why Catalonia wines remain underappreciated, even as more and more of them turn up on cutting-edge wine lists in the U.S.
To understand Catalan wine is to realize how much wine and culture are intertwined. I have a poet friend in Barcelona who writes in her native Catalan. She speaks five languages and expresses mild irritation that I have not learned any Catalan, “considering how much time you spend here.” The last time I was in the city, she and I had an intense conversation about Bad Gyal, a musical artist who is popular in Spain for her very Auto-Tuned dance songs. Bad Gyal’s first hit was a Catalan cover of Rihanna’s “Work,” and she regularly mixes Catalan into her lyrics. When I suggested that Bad Gyal’s music is just derivative Latin dancehall—reggaetón lite—my friend insisted that I didn’t get it: Bad Gyal is the first to sing this type of music in Catalan. That alone, she said, is an important distinction (even in a club song that translates to “Lost This Ass”).
Without getting too deep into Catalan identity politics or talk of the separatist movement, let’s just say that in a place like Catalonia—where 8 million Catalan speakers live as a minority within a Spanish nation of 47 million—these things matter. When it comes to culture, wine is not dissimilar to music. Wine in Catalonia is different than the rest of Spain, with unique native grape varieties and special terroir.
A few months ago, I explored Priorat, Catalonia’s most internationally famous region. In this report, I will focus on Penedès, Conca de Barberà, and Terra Alta, three appellations with a critical mass of up-and-coming winemakers that we’ll soon see more of in the U.S.
X Marks the Spot in Penedès
If wine drinkers know Penedès at all, they know this area 30-45 minutes west of Barcelona as the home of Cava sparkling wines. With so much cheap Cava produced, though, the region’s reputation has become a bit sullied. A few years ago, about 30 of Cava’s top producers even left the Cava DO. So now, confusingly, much of the region’s best sparkling wine is labeled as Corpinnat or Clàssic Penedès. (I’ve written about the Cava drama several times over the past couple years, including here and here.)
“Penedès is a big area, with a not-very-nice tradition of quality,” says Irene Mestre of Colet, one of the sparkling producers who left the Cava appellation and now bottles as Clàssic Penedès. “The stereotype of Penedès has been quantity over quality.” That is changing.
Cava has always been made from a blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeo, and Parellada grapes. Yet over the past couple decades, Xarel·lo has emerged as the key white grape for non-sparkling still wines in Penedès. Now there are about 20 or more producers focused on the grape for still whites. While there is almost no Xarel·lo planted outside of Catalonia, I predict the grape will become one of the most important whites in Spain over the next few years.
“Xarel·lo is our flagship in Penedès,” says Marta Casas of Parés Baltà. “It’s not aromatic, it’s about texture. It’s so versatile. You can make sparkling, you can make still, you can make orange wine. You can age it in oak, in concrete, in amphora. It’s late budding, late ripening, and it’s the healthiest in resisting fungus and disease.”
Two top producers of Xarel·lo that are popping up on many U.S. wine lists are Enric Soler and Celler Pardas. Both are pioneers who made their first non-sparkling Xarel·lo in 2004.
“For me, Xarel·lo is the top Spanish white,” says Ramon Parera, of Celler Pardas. “Xarel·lo is more transparent than Chardonnay because it’s not about super-powerful fruit. Some say Xarel·lo has no flavor or aroma. But this is good because it shows the place. If you have clay or sandy soil, it’s fruitier. If you have more limestone, it’s more mineral, more acidic, with more energy.”
Soler has a tiny production, about 10,000 bottles from about four hectares of 70- to 80-year-old vines. But the wines are in high demand. “People who live in our region might not know us. But they know us in Brooklyn!” says Enric Soler, with a laugh.
Both Soler and Pardas are making ageworthy Xarel·lo that, like all great white wines, are hard to pin down and describe. (See my tasting notes for them below.)
“There are people who speak about it as the Mediterranean Chardonnay, and others will say it’s like Chenin Blanc,” says Soler. “But I think Xarel·lo has its own personality.”
Don’t Sleep on Sumoll
Beyond Xarel·lo, Penedès is gaining attention for growing two other native varieties: white Malvasia di Sitges and red Sumoll.
Malvasia di Sitges was re-discovered on a few acres of vines near the beach town of Sitges and is now being replanted around Penedès. “Malvasia di Sitges is a difficult grape. That’s why our grandfathers preferred to plant something else,” says Parera of Pardas. “For me, Malvasia di Sitges has similar potential as Xarel·lo. It’s more open, more extroverted, more fruity.”
I’ve fallen in love with Sumoll, which makes bright, fresh, delicate red wines if it’s grown and handled right. “Nobody loved Sumoll until recently,” says Parera. In fact, Penedès didn’t even allow the grape in the appellation until 2009. “In the past, it was the most important red in the region. But it was really prolific, and it was planted in the wrong places. It’s a crazy grape. Sumoll needs struggle. It needs poorer soils. It needs drought.” (Catalonia has experienced serious drought conditions over the past few growing seasons.)
Besides Pardas, I’ve tasted great Sumoll from MontRubí and Celler 9+. I also really liked a sparkling Sumoll made by Celler Dumenge, which I saw poured at several of the cooler wine bars in Barcelona.
I met Oriol Roig Caliz, one of Celler Dumenge’s three 30-year-old founders. Until recently, he’d been growing grapes on 50 hectares owned by his family, who had been selling them to Cava producers. “We give too much power to these big Cava companies,” says Roig Caliz. “We have a great mosaic of varieties in this area. But the big companies only wanted three varieties, and so many of the grapes began to disappear. I wanted to break from this. I wanted to reclaim our past.”
When he took over in 2015, Roig Caliz began experimenting with native varieties, such as Xarel·lo Vermell (the rare red Xarel·lo) and Sumoll. “Sumoll is the climate change grape. It resists drought best,” he says. “We think Sumoll has a big potential for sparkling wine.”
Given the ongoing drought conditions in Catalonia, this might be Sumoll’s heyday. “This is a good moment for Sumoll,” says Parera. “Maybe you like it, maybe you don’t. But it’s different.”
Trepat Is Your Next Favorite Gulpable Red
Another light-bodied Catalan red grape to rival Sumoll is Trepat, which is mostly grown in the Conca de Barberà appellation, about an hour and a half west of Barcelona. Until the late 2000s, Trepat was used mostly in bulk sparkling wines. But now it’s used to make bright, lively, drinkable, glou-glou reds that feel very of the moment. I sampled Trepat from about a dozen producers during a tasting in Barcelona, including great examples from Celler Pla de la Masó and Celler Carles Andreu, the latter the first producer to make a 100 percent still Trepat.
For me, the top producer of Trepat in Conca de Barberà is Josep Foraster. I had a chance to visit winemaker Ricard Sebastiàn Foraster, who farms 32 hectares around the beautiful Catalan town of Montblanc with walls dating to the 12th century.
Foraster is fortunate to have so much old-vine Trepat. “Fifty years ago, they were planting grapes for Cava,” Foraster says. “That’s why we have all the old vineyards.” Still, it’s taken quite a while for Trepat to get off the ground. “Twenty years ago, Trepat was nothing,” he says. “When I started, everything was Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon around here.” In 2009, they made their first Trepat, which he says was impossible to sell. “Also, it was very oaky,” he says.
These days, his Trepat is aged mostly in concrete or large neutral barrels, showcasing its freshness. Trepat is tricky to work with—it starts growing early yet ripens late. “You need to take time to get ripeness,” Foraster says. Even in this hot, dry climate, they normally pick in October, and sometimes as late as November. “2023 was the driest year anyone can remember, and the Trepat still only reaches 12 percent alcohol,” he says. The result, in Foraster’s hands, are reds that are lively, elegant, and full of tension.
Terra Alta Might Be Spain’s Next Great White Wine Region
Terra Alta, the southernmost appellation in Catalonia, a little over two hours from Barcelona and not far from Tarragona, is sparsely populated, but rich with history. The Phoenicians were making wine here in 300 B.C. Pablo Picasso made some of his earliest Cubist paintings here, in the village of Horta de Sant Joan. More recently, Terra Alta was where the Battle of the Ebro happened, the largest and longest battle of the Spanish Civil War.
“This was the main battle point in the civil war. A lot of people died here,” Óscar Navas, who makes La Furtiva wines (as well as Batussa, which sources organic grapes from Conca de Barberà), told me when I visited Terra Alta this past fall. In fact, Navas’s family fled Terra Alta for Barcelona during that time. His is the first generation to return. “There are still families angry at each other from that time. But the children don’t care.” As we walked out into his vineyards, he pointed out a trench from the war. “People just left it, because they wanted to forget.”
These days, Terra Alta is becoming more known for excellent Grenache Blanc. In fact, about a quarter of the world’s Grenache Blanc is grown here, a volume that rivals France’s Rhône Valley. Navas scoffs at what he considers the big, fleshy, tropical Rhône-style Grenache Blanc. “Yeah, those mango and melon flavors are just the yeast they use,” he says. The Grenache Blanc in Terra Alta is much leaner—more herbal and mineral.
“This is the most important region in the world for Garnacha Blanca,” says Francesc Frisach of Celler Frisach. “For us it’s a super Mediterranean variety, and it should be more savory—thyme, rosemary, fennel, brine.” Frisach also makes an amazing 100 percent Carignan, L’Anit, which you can find in the U.S.
Terra Alta is a growing hotbed of organic farming and natural-leaning wines. Frisach’s father started working organic more than 30 years ago. “My father is a little bit of a hippy,” he says. “But this is a very pure area. Life is agricultural here. There’re not just vines, but also olives, almonds, and other crops.”
Besides the altitude in Terra Alta, the wind is an incredibly important factor. Windmills dot the mountainous area. There are two winds here: the cerç, a cold wind blows from the northern Pyrenees in the morning, and the garbí, which blows from the warm Mediterranean at night. That contrast of temperatures is very good for the grapes. “For us the wind is a bit annoying,” Navas says, “but it’s a dry wind and so it makes the viticulture easier.”
It’s an exciting time in Terra Alta, with a number of new winery projects happening, but it’s still early days. For instance, Navas only started making wine in 2016. “Terra Alta is the underdog of Catalonia, and of Spain,” Navas says. “It’s a very hard area, a very bitter area. But over time you see its beauty. It’s an area that needs time, in all senses.”
Brisat Is Catalan for “Orange Wine”
The OG of Terra Alta is Laureano Serres, who makes Mendall wines. Serres had been working as a computer programmer in Madrid before he returned to the region in 1997. It’s rumored that he still designs and prints his labels on a 1990s Dell computer. Now he’s considered a pioneer of natural wine in Catalonia. “Laureano changed the paradigm here,” Navas said. “He showed my generation the path.”
When I visited Serres, at his small winery in the village of El Pinell de Brai, he said: “Everybody knows Priorat, but no one knows Terra Alta.”
“Nobody knows—yet,” interjected his daughter, Alicia.
Serres is perhaps most famous for his skin contact wines, often aged in amphora. We now know this style as trendy “orange wines.” But skin-contact wines—called Brisat in Catalonia—have been part of the tradition here for a long time.
“Orange wine?” Serres said, as he rolled a cigarette while Wagner played on the turntable. “Yes, I’m seeing this fashion. It’s definitely a fashion now.” He pointed across the street to a wine cooperative building dating to 1917. “This cooperative over there used to make white wines with 15 days of skin contact,” he says. “That’s because they didn’t have a pneumatic press in those days.”
Brisat wines are made all over Catalonia, and almost all the winemakers I met in the region produced one, including Pardas and Parés Baltà in Penedès, and Foraster in Conca de Barberà. “If my grandfather doesn’t have a porrón of Brisat in front of him, he’s not eating dinner,” said Frisach.
“For me, it’s important to make Brisat, because it’s the history of the terroir,” said Navas. “It’s the culture.”
Catching the Catalonia Wine Wave
Penedès
Whites from Xarel·lo
2022 Enric Soler Nun Vinya dels Taus ($94)
People compare Xarel·lo to Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, but some expressions remind you of great Grüner Veltliner. This single-vineyard expression, from 80-year-old vines, is subtle and elegant, with great acidity and notes of apricot, lemon zest, chamomile, and an underlying nuttiness and minerality. A world-class wine made from Xarel·lo—and, of course, highly allocated to match.
2020 Celler Pardas Pur Xarel·lo ($28)
From two vineyards that are more than 50 years old and aged half in concrete and half in oak, this is serious Xarel·lo, precise, full of tension, with layers of minerality. Aromas of blossom, cut flower, and hints of spice, and a core of saltiness leading to a long finish. An amazing value for an age-worthy white wine of this caliber. I also tasted the 2014, and time only turns up the volume on the minerality, as its tropical notes evolve.
2022 Enric Soler Espenyalluchs ($75)
This is Xarel·lo leaning in a Loire Chenin Blanc direction. Barrel fermented, and aged on the lees for eight months. Gorgeous nose of honeysuckle, fresh herbs, yellow apple, waxy in the mouth with ripe pear and crushed stone on the finish. Beautiful.
2017 Celler Pardas Aspriu Xarel·lo ($40)
If you can find this single vineyard wine, grab it immediately. Dense and complex, with great length and a nose of nectarine and pear, and notes of white pepper and salt, and a beautiful hint of herb throughout.
2021 Loxarel Xarel·lo d’Àmfora ($22)
As the name suggests, this is fermented and aged for five months in clay amphora. This veers more to the Chardonnay side of Xarel·lo. A creamy texture; ripe white peach balanced by cool mineral notes.
2014 Parés Baltà Electio ($50)
Parés Baltà makes all sorts of quality wines, from sparkling to skin-contact in amphora to rosé from Syrah to old-vine Garnacha. But their top still Xarel·lo is my favorite. I’ve tasted both the 2021 and 2014, and while the younger is surprisingly hard to find in the U.S., I would not hesitate to grab the 2014 I found at this price.
2021 Nadal “X” Xarel·lo Vermell ($20)
Made from “red” Xarel·lo—an even rarer mutation of the variety. A lovely, fresh nose of apple blossom, lemon zest, and cut flower stem, and complex and lacy on the palate, with green apple, nectarine, and a dry talc finish. Hard to find, but imported into the U.S. by VOS Selections.
Reds from Sumoll
2022 Celler Pardas “Sus Scrofa” ($19)
100 percent old-vine Sumoll (and 50 percent whole cluster) aged in concrete tank, this is very much a red for contemporary tastes. Electric and lively. On the nose it’s almost like a young Nebbiolo with its earthiness and dark minerality. On the palate, there’s lots of juicy red and purple fruit, with edgy tannins and a cool, dry stony finish. I also tasted a 2016 Sus Scrofa, which was drinking beautifully, underscoring Sumoll’s ageability.
2019 MontRubí “Gaintus Radical” ($23)
Made from Sumoll grown at higher elevation (1,650 feet), it’s vibrant, fruity, and earthy. Full of red fruit and spice, energetic, and rustic in the very best sense.
2021 Celler 9+ Model Selecció 4T
A light-bodied red made with Sumoll, full of juicy fruit, earthiness, electric acidity, and cool minerality. The epitome of a “spring red.” Tricky to find but imported into the U.S. by Jenny and François.
Charming, vibrant sparkler made from the red Sumoll grape, with 48 hours of skin contact and five months on the lees. An exciting break with the traditional sparkling wines of Penedès from this young winery. Small production, but I have a hunch we’ll be seeing this in the U.S. very soon.
Conca de Barberà
Reds from Trepat
2022 Josep Foraster “Julieta” ($30)
A joyful, light-bodied red made from Trepat, from a single vineyard at over 1,700 feet elevation, 40 percent whole cluster, and aged in concrete egg. Bright, fresh notes of citrus blossom, strawberry, and hints of forest, this is a super pretty wine (and eminently gulpable at 12 percent ABV). I can’t find this wine on Wine-Searcher at the time of publication, but you can find it here and here.
Foraster’s top Trepat is darker and more brooding than Julieta, but it’s also light on its feet and full of energy. Nebbiolo-like on the nose, with rose and pepper, and on the palate there’s deep forest notes, great structure, and an attractive underlying stony character. I’m told that, as of May 2024, there are only 10 cases available in the U.S.
2021 Batussa Negre ($24)
Made by Óscar Navas of La Furtiva, with Trepat sourced from Conca de Barberà blended with 10 percent Macabeo. One of the more popular light reds at natural wine bars in Barcelona. A happy wine that’s juicy and easy drinking, but also complex, with good structure.
Terra Alta
Whites
2022 Celler Frisach Vernatxa “Instint Primari” ($33)
Vernatxa is the old local name for Garnacha Blanca in Catalonia. This one—from 75-year-old vines and which sees a week of skin contact and 6 months in large neutral barrels—veers toward Burgundy. Layer upon layer of minerality, fleshy stone fruit, fennel, flint, and a long finish.
2020 Bodegas Edetària Finca La Terrenal ($50)
A classic example of top Terra Alta Garnacha Blanca. Elegant, supple, full-bodied, with ripe orchard fruit, herbs, beeswax, and a chalky finish. The 2016, currently available in the U.S., is a great example of the wine’s ageability.
2021 Óscar Navas La Furtiva ($26)
A blend of Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo, aged in French oak and chestnut for 10 months. Intense acidity and big citrus aromas and flavors, balanced by an earthiness throughout. There’s freshness and depth, and an edge to this wine that mirrors the wild terroir of Terra Alta.The 2022 is harder to find in the U.S.
2020 Mendall “Terme de Guiu La Plana Trankil” ($36)
Skin-contact white from 90 percent Macabeo and 10 percent Garnacha Blanca, from Laureano Serres, a legend of the Catalan natural-wine scene, and an incredibly unique wine that may change the minds of natural-wine skeptics.
2022 Vins de Quimera Vila dels Arcs
A tiny project, working out of Óscar Navas’s winery, but making some super interesting wines we’ll be hearing from soon. This white blend of Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo is fresh and natty, but more complex than just glou-glou.
Reds
2021 Celler Frisach L’Anit ($50)
A fantastic 100 percent Carignan that shows Terra Alta’s potential with red wines. Whole cluster, foot trodden, 10 months in concrete. Fresh, gulpable, a complex structure—an amazing food wine.
Pardas makes some great wines, if you have a chance do a vertical tasting on their wines over multiple vintages!