In the Variety Profile for Xarel·lo that just went out this week, I made a mention about delicate use of skin contact to coax even more out of what is already a great grape. This bottle by Descregut epitomizes everything that there is to say on the subject.
This grapes are sourced from a single vineyard that’s nearly 70 years old (a rarity in Penedès) called “La Figuera”. Not terribly high altitude at around 250m, they usually pick it towards the end of September which is rather late for whites in the region. Everything they produce is farmed organically.
If you’re a lover of lighter whites like Pinot Grigio, Grüner Veltliner, or Chenin Blanc, this probably isn’t going to be your bag–although never say never. Yes, it’s a white wine, but it’s very much verging on the whole “amber wine” category due to the juice sitting on the skins for 15 hours after pressing. In reality, that’s not a lot of time for contact and is about the same as what many Rosés see, but at the same time, I’ll fully admit that this is a white wine of substance (also due to seven months in oak) and I happened to love the crap out of it. And, at around 15€ a bottle, it’s well-priced for a quality wine from Penedès.
In general, since joining Corpinnat at the beginning of this year, Descregut has been proving that they’re crafting some quite excellent wines in their corner of Penedès. And it’s not just whites, as their take on Sumoll is very much worthy to note.
But, if you want to taste just what Xarel·lo can do, then search out this wine, although the production is admittedly low as is often the case for the most “special” wines in the world. Sorry about that, but rest assured that there are a great many other wines to love in Xarel·lo Land.
