Wine Club | September 22: Catalonian Summer Glou
Catalonian Summer Glou
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Catalonian Summer Glou 〰️
Little Pack
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100% Macabeo with a couple hours of maceration during the press. Harvested end sept. 21 Fermentation finished in 14 days in stainless steel then moved into Ceramic Anfora for 7 months
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100% Granacha Blanca with about a 13 day maceration, all in stainless steel as well before moving on to anfora disgorged after 6 mos.
Prince Pack
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100% Granacha, 2 hour press in stainless steel, elevage for 9 mos in stainless steel as well.
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Oriol Artigas organically farms 7.5 hectares of very old vines in Alella, just north of Barcelona. His approach in the vineyard is low-impact, influenced by biodynamics: he does not do much pruning, encourages the growth of supportive plants among the vines, and follows the lunar calendar. El Rall is a new bottling from Oriol, from old vines of Merlot, Syrah, Garnatxa and Sumoll, vinified in stainless steel, some macerated whole cluster and some pressed directly, bottled without fining, filtering, or any additions. El Rall shows pretty green notes from the Merlot alongside bright and refreshing red and purple fruit and a bit of Syrah spice. At 12.5%, this bottling is more substantial and dense than Oriol's other red wines, but still refreshing and cooling, with delicate tannins. Serve with a bit of a chill.
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Vinyes Singulars is a family estate in the village of Pacs del Penedés less than an hour outside of Barcelona. Ignasi Segui is the grower and winemaker, continuing the family tradition dating back to 1405. When Ignasi took over the estate, many of the vineyards were in disrepair, and much of his focus was and still is dedicated to restoring (versus replanting) these older vineyards. All the grapes come from regenerative, organic farming (certified) tended by Ignasi on clay/limestone soils. Ignasi farms 27 hectares total, but sells a significant amount of fruit to other growers, using his best grapes from about 8 hectares for his own production. No so2 or other additions are used in the winemaking at any point.
Catalonian Glou
Every summer, as the season slips from infinitely long to counting the days, short and dry light, hot every hour, the lizards sizzle content on their rocks I get the jitters, the shakes, the bodily compulsion to go forth and get out there to pick some grapes. It is tattooed on my soul. The grape matter stuck to your skin, insects racing up limbs to escape their fate, the crush, the pick, the brix taking, bins carrying, the long silences, those old men and women of the estate whose knowledge is like a Dickensian psychological trait written onto their bodies, their faces. It is utterly addicting. You become immersed in aroma, action, and drama of the vintage, the drama of the land itself. One of my first complete vintages was in Catalonia in 2017 and every summer when my heart aches for harvest it also aches for that country and we want to bring you this bottled heartache, this lust for a country of summer in an ancient land.