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

Producer Profile

Perelada are one of the most prestigious and highly regarded wine and cava producers from Catalonia.

DO Empordà wines This family-owned Estate was built upon a winemaking tradition that stretches back to the Middle Ages, they produce wines in DO Empordà, which through their hard work and skill they helped create in the 1960s. Their 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 Med. This setting has helped create a quest for quality that has gone beyond winemaking, encompassing all things cultural, celebrating art and history in all aspects of life. Easy to believe in a region that was home to the godfather of surrealism, Salvador Dali. DO Cava The family purchased an additional bodega in Penedes’ capital, Vilafranca del Penedès, allowing Perelada to increase its production, becoming a serious player amongst Spain’s most prominent cava producers. This range is at a price and quality ratio that is hard to argue with, offering incredible value. Every summer Castillo Perelada hosts one of the most prestigious music festivals in Europe. Stars Cava is a tribute to all the artists who have performed under the stars of the Empordà sky.

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.