Nicholas Pearce presents two sustainable boutique producers from Catalonia…
Joan Ramón Escoda and Josep Puiggrós have been friends for years. A couple months ago, Joan Ramón told us about Josep’s wines and managed to send us some of them to try.
We fell deeply in love with his wines; and now we are now thrilled to offer them to you for the first time, together with some os Escoda’s wines.
The estimated time of arrival for this special offer is April 2020.
BODEGAS PUIGGRÓS
We met Josep Puiggròs through Joan Ramon Escoda. Josep’s family has been making wines for personal consumption in their Masia, a Catalan word for farm house, since 1843.
The masia is located in Odena, a village near Barcelona, nestled in a mountainous area southwest of Montserrat, which boasts an uber-gorgeous range of mountains and 11th century monastery you have to see to believe.
In 2008, after inheriting a few vineyards from their grandfather, Josep and his brother Vicenç decided to start bottling the production: wines that reflect their passion for viticulture and their landscape. Their philosophy, both in viticulture and winemaking is very sustainably-based, following organic practices and doing harvests by hand.
Bodegas Puiggrós makes 10.000 bottles annually.
Exedra Blanc 2018 – $24.95
White Grenache fermented in clay amphoras (380 and 720 litres) for 10 months. There is a beautiful structure in this amphorae-touched white, enhanced by a brilliant acidity and freshness.
Exedra Negre 2018 – $34.95
Red Grenache harvested during the first week of October. Destemmed, the grapes macerate in amphoras with manual punch downs. The ageing, including malolactic, was done in clay amphoras (380 and 720 litres) over the lees for 10 months.
Sentits Blancs 2017 – $24.95
White Grenache from over 80 years old vines harvested in October. Fermented and aged for 4 to 5 months in new French oak barrels.
Sentits Negre 2014 – $34.95
Red Grenache from 80+ year old vines from Odena. The grapes are destemmed and macerated in stainless steel and oak barrels. After pressing, it ages in new French oak barrels for 12 months, where it goes through malolactic.
ESCODA SANAHUJA
Joan Ramón Escoda has been shaking the pillars of winemaking in his home-country and abroad since the 90’s. He is an absolute anarchist, a radical winemaker, a rock’n’roller and a grass-roots innovator; and his wines are everything but banal.
Escoda-Sanahuja was established in 1999 in JR’s wife’s village in Conca del Barbera; and it was in 2005 when he stopped adding sulphites to his wines. He has been one of very few first pioneers in natural winemaking, and no one doubts it. Nowadays, his winemaking still remains very low-interventionist, combining different materials such as amphorae, concrete and neutral oak.
We are lucky enough to have some allocations for his wines every once in a while; and we are thrilled to share them with you.
Els Bassots 2015 – $39.95
The Loire Valley has always had a special importance for Joan Ramón, as it has been key in his journey and evolution as a winemaker. As a consequence, he is madly in love with Chenin.
This blind love for this white grape took him to plant some vines in Conca del Barberá, which resulted in a great success thanks to the cold and humid weather of the hills in Prenafeta. The high altitude makes possible the unbelievable: a juicy and mellow skin-contact wine with hints of caramel, citrus and earthy notes.
Nas del Gegant 2018 – $31.95
An outstanding Loire-inspired wine with hints of grilled peppers, aromatic herbs and cassis, made from Cabernet Franc, Garnatxa, Carignan and Merlot aged in amphora for 9 months.
Les Paradetes 2018 – $39.95
This complex and spicy blend combines Sumoll, Garnatxa and Carignan. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and aged for 14 months in neutral oak barrels.
La Llopetera 2018 – $39.95
This is a 100% Pinot Noir wine from a Mediterranean region under the influence of a very cold weather. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for a year in large neutral French oak, it turns into a fresh and flavourful wine with grippy and firm tannins.
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