At the table with Trossos Sants 2019
Roast langoustines with lemon butter, saffron monkfish, farmhouse chicken with morels, mushroom risotto, aged sheep's cheese.
Our wines for
Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Trossos Sants 2019Portal del Priorat
The vineyard of this cuvée lies in the DOQ Priorat, in the heart of Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain. Portal del Priorat farms plots set on steep slopes around El Molar, in a Mediterranean landscape shaped by the ridges of the Montsant range. The vines sink their roots into the emblematic llicorella soils, a crumbly slate mixed with quartz that provides natural drainage and brings a characteristic mineral expression. The altitude, the temperature swings and the low fertility of the soils contribute to the concentration and freshness of the white grapes.
The grapes are harvested by hand, then gently pressed. Fermentation takes place in 500-litre French oak barrels, where the wine is also aged for eight months.
This wine reveals notes of ripe pear, white peach and lemon zest, followed by hints of dried flowers, fennel and honey. The ageing brings touches of toasted almond, delicate vanilla and wet stone, without masking the personality of the fruit. The palate offers a broad, enveloping texture, supported by fresh acidity and a saline backbone. The long, slightly spicy finish keeps a fine mineral tension.
Where are we traveling?
PrioratSpain
It lies in the hinterland of Tarragona, in Catalonia, about a hundred kilometres south-west of Barcelona, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of steep hills and deep valleys. The vineyards unfold on dizzying slopes, sometimes steeper than 45 degrees, between 100 and 700 metres above sea level, in a spectacular landscape of narrow terraces clinging to the mountain. Its winemaking history dates back to the 12th century, when Carthusian monks founded the priory of Scala Dei and planted the first vines, giving the region its name. After centuries of prosperity, phylloxera and rural exodus emptied Priorat of its winegrowers, until a handful of visionary pioneers — René Barbier, Álvaro Palacios, Daphne Glorian and a few others — rediscovered in the 1990s the extraordinary potential of its unique llicorella soils, a shiny black slate-like schist that forces the roots to plunge deep and gives the wines an intense, dark minerality. The climate is continental Mediterranean, hot and dry, tempered by the Catalan mistral — the cerç — which sweeps through the vines, and by the night-time coolness brought by altitude, giving the grapes slow ripening and remarkable balance. Priorat is one of only two Spanish appellations to hold DOCa status, on a par with Rioja, and has made its name with monumental, deep reds from Garnacha and Cariñena, often from century-old vines with tiny yields, complemented by ambitious cuvées including Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and a handful of rare, mineral whites from Garnacha Blanca and Macabeu, testament to an extreme terroir that produces some of the most intense and moving wines in the entire Mediterranean.
The little history of the country
Spain
The history of wine in Spain is so old that no one really knows who brought the first vines to the region. When the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was well established and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a wine miracle. After years on the sidelines of the fine wine world, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often very high in alcohol) and spicy reds that are ever more popular with international consumers. Proud to have more land under vine than any other country, Spain is only just beginning to capitalise on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is an anarchic tangle of regions and sub-regions, just as its landscape is an anarchic tangle of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity between Spain's many wine regions, from the green, rain-soaked vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the sun-baked vineyards of the Mediterranean south-east. Spain's saving grace, as far as viticulture is concerned, is the average altitude of its vineyards, over 600 metres. Many Spanish vineyards therefore manage to produce grapes with good colour and acidity simply because night-time temperatures are relatively low and the grapes do not ripen until the end of a sufficiently long growing season. But there is real treasure to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all kinds of ambitious investors have done their bit to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun crafting spectacular wines and experimenting with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable until very recently. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.
All about Trossos Sants 2019
At what temperature should Trossos Sants 2019 be served?
Between 10 and 12 °C.
How long can Trossos Sants 2019 be kept?
Ageing potential: 5 to 10 years, until around 2029. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Trossos Sants 2019?
Grapes: 60% Garnacha Blanca, 20% Macabeo, 20% Pedro Ximénez. Origin: Priorat, Spain. Alcohol: 14.5%.
What to serve with Trossos Sants 2019?
Trossos Sants 2019 pairs well with shellfish, vegetarian dishes, white fish and white meat. Our dish ideas are in the food pairing box at the top of the page.