Catalunya is a special part of the world for natural wine. Certainly one of the first regions that made me fall in love with wine, I was drawn to the invigorating “H20 Vegetal” concept and quality often found here. Literally translating to “vegetal water”, it’s a term that was brought to life by the legendary Laureano Serres and his dear amigo (and also legendary winemaker) Joan Ramon Escoda. The sentiment and vision here is that well-made natural wines have a special quality that feels nourishing and graceful on our palate and bodies, akin to the aforementioned “vegetal water”. These two winemakers have had an immeasurable influence on what is now one of the world’s most exhilarating wine regions and the vibrancy of the vinos here is extraordinarily special.
New to the shop, we’re excited to share the wines of Andreu and Xavi Padró, two brothers making wine under the name “La Rural”. Nestled between multiple rivers and mountain ranges, the name is an homage to the stunning land they shepherd and the ancestral connection the Padró family has to Alt Camp. The family has a long history of agricultural endeavors, but Andreu and Xavi became the first to sell wine from their precious fruit. Looking to Laureno Serres and other Catalan trailblazers like Oriol Artigas for inspiration, the wines that have come in introduce themselves with a charming essence that is so distinctly Catalan.
I can’t remember exactly where I heard or read this on the topic of Catalan natural wine, but I feel like the wines of La Rural truly embody this spirit: “Wines kissed by the sun and caressed by the sea.” There is a fine balance between acidic tension, pretty fruit and aromatics, edginess and refinement. It’s really captivating to feel all of these qualities in the wines as they go down with a special breeziness and fluidity – the brothers have a stylistic preference for gentler tea-like infusions in the cellar. We’ll have a macerated Macabeu, a featherweight Sumoll, and a charming Ull de Llebre (Catalan Tempranillo) open for you this Tuesday. Nos vemos pronto – salud :)
-Ivan
Free to taste for wine club members, $10 for anyone else.