Articles

Xarel·lo: A modern rockstar

by  |  05-06-2020

Xarel·lo is the only grape in the world spelled with a (·) or punt volat, something of a thumb to the nose of “the man”. Then it, proudly presents a middle finger to all English... more »

In The Glass: Celler Descregut – Horafosca 2017

by  |  22-04-2020

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... more »

The wines from Xarel·lo in Penedès 2020

by  |  20-04-2020

Workhorse. Backbone. Structured. Aromatic. Evolving. These are but a few words one can put forth when talking about the grape, Xarel·lo and they’re all true–even if some people might say them with a curled lip... more »

The eternity of Xarel·lo: Parés Baltà – Electió 2004

by  |  03-04-2020

“To date, we still don’t know how long Xarel·lo can ultimately age.” I’ve heard this oft-repeated about this white grape variety over the years, but the very first time I heard it was from Ton... more »

Sicus, when wine is made in the vineyard

by  |  12-07-2019

Driving forty five minutes covers a lot of ground in the wine world. It affords a 41km view of the entire Côte d’Or in Burgundy. Similarly, it will see you go from the top to... more »

Natural etc. Can Sumoi

by  |  01-03-2019

Europe is in the “Recuperation Era” of winemaking and by that I mean that there is still a lot of recuperation of old varieties, vineyards, and winemaking methods taking place to produce the modern, evolving... more »

Sweetness: Alta Alella – Blanc de Neu 2016 & Mataró 2015

by  |  23-01-2019

Dessert wines are decidedly not sexy in this day and age. A right pity that is given they definitely have their place in a meal to cleanse and close the palate at the end and... more »

Wonderful Gran Reserva Cavas for unreasonable times

by  |  15-12-2018

It’s roundabout mid-December when the bubbly articles inevitably percolate throughout all manners of media. The codified thinking is that for these festive times, you’ll want what has been deemed the most celebratory of drinks: sparkling... more »

The ever-mighty Xarel·lo. Recaredo: Turó d’en Mota 2006 & Serral del Vell 2008

by  |  29-10-2018

Perhaps it’s because t hasn’t popped up on #sommlife or the less-used but seemingly less annoying #awesomm. Or, perhaps it’s just that the punt volat (·) tosses people for a wobbly, but Xarel·lo is still... more »

The Xarel·lo grape. Or is it Xarello, Xarel.lo, or Xarel-lo?

by  |  25-06-2018

For those who may not know it, Xarel·lo is a wonderful white grape that, as far as we know, is native to the Penedès region of Catalunya. Able to give an upright, structured backbone as... more »