Vinyes d’Olivardots Vermell 2022

From the village of Capmany, in the heart of the Alt Empordà, this red comes from Catalan vineyards planted on soils of sand, pebbles and granite. The Vinyes d’Olivardots estate farms its plots organically, with close attention to the expression of the terroir. The cuvée is produced under the D.O. Empordà appellation, in north-eastern Spain, close to the Mediterranean.

The grapes are hand-harvested into small crates, with selection in the vineyard and again at the winery. The grape varieties are vinified separately after a cold pre-fermentation maceration; fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks, followed by gentle pressing and malolactic fermentation. Ageing continues in second- and third-fill French oak barrels for 10 to 12 months.

This wine reveals notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, violet, black pepper, clove, liquorice, cocoa, vanilla, smoke and garrigue. Milky, balsamic and slightly mineral nuances complete this expressive bouquet. The palate offers velvety, savoury substance, driven by well-defined freshness and ripe, supple tannins, followed by a long finish with spicy and roasted accents.

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.