Bufadors Vinya del Rascarà ungeschwefelt 2018

The Bufadors Vinya del Rascarà 2018 is an unsulphured sparkling wine made from pure Xarel·lo, which Ton Mata and his team at Recaredo craft as a raw interpretation of the traditional method. In the glass it shows a brilliant golden yellow with bright highlights and a vigorous mousse. The nose is expressive: grilled pineapple, ripe pear, bitter orange and Cox's Orange Pippin apple, alongside tart apple notes and citrusy, almost cider-like nuances. Pear skin, apple skin and quince must add to this musty impression, as if freshly pressed, somewhere between juice, pulp and delicate tannin.

In the single vineyard of Rascarà, Xarel·lo vines planted in 1999 grow on highly calcareous soils. The 50 hectares of estate vineyards, farmed biodynamically, lie on the right bank of the Bitlles river in the hilly coster del Bitlles; the white stones between the vine rows reveal the limestone content.

Pure Xarel·lo. The must begins fermenting already in the vineyard and serves as the starter, while the base wine fermented in 300-litre oak barrels. On 1 October 2018 the vintage went into bottle for the second fermentation; disgorgement began in February 2024, after at least five years and four months on the lees. There are no additives, yeasts or sugar, nor fining, filtration or sulphur: lees ageing and carbon dioxide protect and stabilise the wine.

Warm spices in the background, cinnamon and cardamom, along with dried thyme, marjoram and oregano, a touch of yeast, savoury pretzel and pecan. The mouthfeel carries a sense of wet stone and sea spray, lending it depth, while the creamy base recalls buttery brioche. At 10.5% vol. and under 0.5 g/l residual sugar, it remains light-footed.

Recaredo has produced exclusively Brut Nature, meaning without dosage, since 1924. Disgorgement is done manually, without freezing; bottle fermentation takes place under natural cork. In 2019 Ton Mata, grandson of the founder, co-founded Corpinnat together with like-minded producers.