WanderCurtis Wine

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Tag Archives: Penedes


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The Wine Regions of Eastern Spain

Here is a condensed  two page summary of the WSET Diploma D3 material on regions along the eastern Mediterranean coastal strip of Spain.

The regions are mostly Mediterranean in climate and include: Catalunya with sub-regions Penedes, Montsant, Priorat, and Costers Del Segre the last two of which further inland become more Continental than Mediterranean. Also further south Valencia, Alicante and Yeculla are close enough to the coast to be Mediterranean whilst Jumilla and Utiel-Requenia in the foot hills are more Continental.

Again the notes are organised into the key subject areas of: climate, topography, growing hazards, wine law, grape varieties, wine growing and wine making practices.

Spain East Coast Wine Producing Regions KCDownload

See the Spanish wine regions overview to put this in context.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.


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Penedes & Xarel-lo master class with Alvaro Ribalta MW

An enlightening DO Penedes & Xarel-lo master class with Alvaro Ribalta MW yesterday.  Alvaro was able to cut through some of the complexity of the region which overlaps with #Cava and #Catalonia and has no less than 10 named sub-regions. Key take outs were three broader zones: coastal, middle valley and mountainous and the quality focus coming from a group of well-travelled younger winemakers. 

The consensus is that #Xarel-lo, suited to the mediterranean climate and poor soils, high in acidity and age worthy, is the most promising grape for Penedes quality wines. It is neutral and examples show how well it works with a range of winemaking techniques; new oak, battonage, a bit of skin contact, concrete eggs, sparkling traditional method and even natural wine making. 

 Great examples were: 

  • X Col-leccio 2019 by @Nadal – lees stirring, ready to drink, complex, textured with a lovely briny finish. 
  • Xarel-lo Pairal 2020 by @canrafolsdelscaus. Made in chestnut barrels, oxidative notes of bruised apple, cake spices and a long mineral nutty finish. 
  • Lluna Nova Xarel-lo 2017 by @BodegasPinord. Biodynamically made, fermented in French oak with lovely integrated toasty notes, preserved lemon, and a long briny, nutty finish. 
  • La Sinia 2021, by @Maset fermented and aged in acacia barrels with subtle oaky notes, ripe apple and peach. 
  • Refugi de @loxarel_vins  sparkling 100% Xarel-lo, partly fermented in oak barrel and cellared for around three years: toasty, ripe red apple, fennel, creamy texture and salty finish. 
  • 109 de Loxarel 2011. A crazy wine with aged for 109 months, undiscouraged i.e. Pet Nat: slightly cloudy lemon with flashes of gold, smoky, sea shells, coastal rock pools, nutty, hardly any autolytic notes in spite of the extended lees contact, creamy texture and persistent fine bubbles, intense and long pleasant bitter, salted almond finish. 

 I can see the gently oaked versions of Xarel-lo having wide appeal and the unoaked lees aged versions working well with food, richer sea food in particular. Cheers!