Terra Vermella 2021

The Terra Vermella 2021 is a dry white wine made from pure Parellada, lean in structure and built for freshness. At 12.0 % vol. it stays light-footed, drawing its tension from acidity and minerality rather than body. In the glass it shows pale straw yellow with greenish reflections.

Familia Nin Ortiz farms steep slopes around Porrera, up to 700 metres in altitude, on Llicorella, the region's characteristic black slate. These slopes are too steep for machinery, so Carles Ortiz ploughs with mules, something no one in Porrera had done since the 1960s. The estate has worked biodynamically since its very first vintage. Bottling takes place in Falset, in the province of Tarragona, and the wine carries the Catalonia designation.

A single-varietal Parellada. In the cellar, a hallmark of restraint applies: spontaneous fermentation in foudres, demi-muids or amphorae, with no fining and no filtration. The estate is one of the few Spanish wineries belonging to La Renaissance des Appellations, the association founded by Nicolas Joly for biodynamic producers.

The attack is taut, the acidity carries the wine without detour. Green apple and lemon sit alongside cool herbal notes, with an earthy spice in the background. The finish stays narrow, salty and mineral.

Seafood salad, steamed turbot or other white fish with herbs suit this style well, as do delicate vegetables served as tapas, poultry and herb-forward plant-based cooking.

Parellada is considered a rare variety in Priorat and stands alone here in the bottle. Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz met in 2007 at a biodynamic seminar, and their first joint vintage followed in 2008. Every cork bears their motto "Biodynamic since day one".