Celler Pardas -- Rupestris

Pardas is one of my favorite wineries in all of Spain. Their dedication to bringing back to life long-neglected indigenous grape varietals, coupled with total natural winemaking standards, inspires me to seek out equally worthy projects around the globe. It also gives me hope and confidence that natural wine can indeed be made in a delicious, clean, and affordable style.

This wine drinks like a high-end Chablis (think crisp, neutral oak Chardonnay with tons of minerality & elegant texture.)

Grape: Xarel-lo & Malvasia de Sitges

Region: Penedès, Spain

Farming: Certified Organic, un-ploughed land, dry farmed, hand harvested, 25-50 year old vines

Winery: Wild yeast, spontaneous fermentation in concrete tank for 3 weeks, unfined, bâtonnage 10-15 days for 1.5 months, followed by 3 months aging in concrete tank