Espenyalluchs 2024

A dry white wine made from pure Xarel·lo, grown in the Alt Penedès near Barcelona. Cool in tone, mineral, with an almost saline mouthfeel and a depth that needs time. 12.5% ABV.

Enric Soler works in Sabanell, a hamlet in the Alt Penedès, from Cal Raspallet, a Catalan farmhouse from the late 19th century with a cellar beneath. The subsoil is calcareous and sandy, the vines stand at 400 metres of altitude. Cool nights preserve acidity, and the Mediterranean lies 30 kilometres away, buffering the climate.

Xarel·lo, a single-variety wine. Harvest is done by hand in 15-kilo crates, fermentation is spontaneous with wild yeasts, with no adjustments to the must. For the Espenyalluchs, Enric Soler forgoes the concrete egg; the ageing aims for a purist, mineral mouthfeel. Just under three hectares and around 10,000 bottles a year across four wines keep the work artisanal.

Taut and juicy at once: lemon and green apple up front, followed by apricot and herbs, carried by vibrant acidity. The finish stays cool and saline, the fruit unadorned.

Grilled fish, seafood and oysters, escalivada, or goat cheese or green asparagus.

In 1997 Enric Soler was named Spain's best sommelier, and in 2004 he inherited his grandfather's vineyard. Cal Raspallet is home to the oldest Xarel·lo vines in the world, planted in 1945. He has farmed the plots biodynamically since 2005.