Escoda Sanahuja Biodynamic in Catalonia

Joan Ramon Escoda and his family make wine together on their 10 Hectare estate in Conca de Barbera in Catalunya. Founded in 1997 the estate has always practiced organics but fully converted to biodynamics in 2007. In 2017 they built a beautiful new winery where they live and a lovely restaurant called Tossal Gros, named for the mountain range just behind the property.

 

Grapes are hand harvested into small cases from low yielding vines. Ferments are done with natural yeast, wines are not filtered or fined. There are never any adjustments or chemicals used, not even S02. These are living wines that evolve dramatically in the glass.

 

“Our work philosophy in the wine making process is to respect the wine to the maximum, without submitting it to any type of filtered or clarified, and making the fermentations with natural yeasts from the vineyard. Thanks to it, we can make wines almost without sulphur.” Joan Ramón Escoda

 

35% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot, 10% Garnatxa Negra, 10% Carinyena, 10% Sumoll Negre

Aged in amphora and utterly unique with wild herb, savory notes integrated with deep, dark earthy fruit. It somehow tastes ancient and fresh simultaneously. This wine finishes slightly off-dry but remains balanced. Decant for best flavour.

 

 

100% Sumoll Negre. Unfined/Unfiltered. Fermented and aged in amphora. The concept is based on making a wine of which there are only 300 bottles and that’s “off the wall” and utterly different. The wine, vines and winemaking change from year to year. Very pale, gentle and delicate yet intensely aromatic at same time, floral, rose, cherry, great acidity, very fine tannins.

 

100% Chenin Blanc. Natural fermentation in stainless steel. Aged 8 months in amphora. Unfined/Unfiltered. Balsamic, fresh and powerful, with a lovely vibe in the mouth. It’s unusual to find Chenin Blanc in Spain and this is no ordinary wine – mellow with fleshy citrus and a touch of caramel, perfumed but also earthy, long and complex. Don’t mind the sediment – decant carefully and savour!

 

A blend of Chenin Blanc, Parellada, Macabeu, Garnacha and Sumoll. Natural fermentation in concrete tanks. Aged for 9 months in concrete. Unfined/Unfiltered. Easy to drink, “gourmand” and long in mouth. The wine is produced from young vineyards of indigenous grape.

 

A blend of Parellada, Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu. Natural fermentation in amphora. Aged 8 months in amphora. Unfined/Unfiltered. Intense and captivating. Juicy and balsamic. This wine is the first one made in amphora.

 

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Garnatxa Negra, Crinyena and Sumoll Negre. Natural fermentation in amphora. Aged 6 months in amphora. Unfined/Unfiltered. Easy to drink. Juicy and spicy. Notes of cassis and sour black cherries, grilled herbs, and roasted peppers.

 

A blend of 70%, Garnatxa, 15% Samso and 15% Sumoll. Natural fermentation in stainless steel. Aged 10 months in stainless steel. Unfined/Unfiltered. Deep, Mediterranean, large and intense. Complex and spicy with some nice berry fruit, very food friendly. This wine represents the amazing terroir of Conca de Barbera.

 

100% Cabernet Franc. Natural fermentation in stainless steel. Aged for 12 months in French oak tonneau. Unfined/Unfiltered. Deep and Mediterranean, rich of tertiary perfumes, fresh and long. Nice and savoury with a lovely balance between the dark cherry fruit and earthy tannins. It’s a wine for aging, a long long time.

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