El Mas Vilella 2015

Located in the Baix Penedès region of Catalonia, the Autòcton Celler vineyard surrounds the historic Vilella farmhouse, nestled in a landscape of rolling hills near the Mediterranean. The plots are planted on predominantly limestone and clay-limestone soils, with a maritime influence that tempers the hot summers and promotes the gradual ripening of the grapes. This terroir, blending old vines and a preserved rural environment, gives the wine an identity deeply rooted in the mosaic of microclimates and soils typical of this part of the Penedès.

The indigenous grapes are harvested by hand and sorted in the vineyard and then again at the winery before being carefully destemmed. Fermentation takes place in vats with maceration to extract color and structure, with minimal intervention to preserve the expression of the terroir. The wine is then aged in oak barrels, where it gains aromatic complexity and texture, before being bottled without haste, in order to preserve the authentic character and finesse inherent to the estate.

This wine reveals notes of ripe black fruit , fresh red fruit , and floral hints of violet , complemented by spicy nuances of pepper and licorice , as well as delicate woody accents of cedar and vanilla . On the palate, it is full-bodied, with a silky texture, well-integrated acidity , and fine tannins that structure the whole, leading to a persistent and harmonious finish .

The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.