Perelada, Només Garnatxa Negra, DO Empordà, Spain, 2023

Producer Profile

Perelada are one of the most prestigious and highly regarded wine and Cava producers in Catalunya – a family-owned estate built upon a winemaking tradition that stretches back to the Middle Ages.

The foundation of the estate is DO Empordà, which through their hard work and skill Perelada helped to create in the 1960s. The vineyards are rooted on diverse soils from slate to sand, fluvial sediment to gravel, that all run down between the mighty Pyrenees and the sparkling blue of the Mediterranean. This setting has spurred on a quest for quality that has gone beyond winemaking to embrace all things cultural, celebrating the region’s art and history in all aspects of life – easy to believe in a region that was home to the godfather of surrealism, Salvador Dali. In due course the family purchased an additional bodega, DO Cava, in Penedes’ capital, Vilafranca del Penedès, allowing them to increase production and become a serious player among Spain’s most prominent Cava producers. This range sits at a price v. quality ratio that is hard to argue with, offering incredible value for money. Every summer Castillo Perelada also hosts one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe, and ‘Stars Cava’ is a tribute to the artists who have performed there under the stars of the Empordà sky. Perelada are committed to sustainable agriculture, both in their family-owned vineyards in Empordà and in their vineyards in Vilafranca, Penedès.

Viticulture

The vineyards are approximately 50m above sea level, with an average vine age of over 52 years. The approach in the vineyard is conventional and planted in a double royal training system. The grape selection process and destemming is done manually in vineyard, and then pressed in the winery with a pneumatic press.

Winemaking

Fermentation of the first must took place at a controlled temperature of 24ºC. Three months in used French Allier and American oak barrels.

Tasting Note

Red cherry colour, with a violet rim. This is a very complex wine, with red fruits, spices and Mediterranean herbs notes. It clearly reminds of the Garnatxa Negra varietal, rounded with a hint of the well managed fine oak ageing. In the mouth it is intense, fresh, silky, with ripe tannins. This is a well-balanced wine, tasty, long-lasting, with an enveloping and lovely after-taste.

Food Matching

Barbecued meats, pasta, pizza and risotto will work beautifully.