Xarel-lo 'Vinya Oculta' Amos Baneres 2019

"Vinya Oculta" is the label of Amós Bañeres that perfectly describes the situation in which these Xarel-lo grapes grow: a hidden vineyard, facing north, which allows a slower and more gradual ripening of the berries and optimal concentration of aromas.

"Vinya Oculta' by Amós Bañeres is made from Xarel-lo grapes vinified in purity from vines planted in 1989 by his grandfather. The terroir is located south of the village of San Martín Sarroca, where the bodega is based, near La Múnia, on the slopes that rise about 250 metres above sea level. This area of the Penedès region is closest to the Mediterranean, characterised by clay-limestone soils, set within a kind of corridor where sea breezes can infiltrate with their load of humidity and land currents, on the other hand, dry out the fruit. Harvesting is carried out by hand and several times, aimed solely at picking the bunches that have reached perfect ripeness. In the cellar, they are roughly pressed with the feet and then sealed in steel tanks where spontaneous fermentation is triggered in semi-carbonic mode, at a controlled temperature. After about two days on the skins, the grapes are meticulously pressed in old 300-litre French oak barrels, where fermentation continues until exhaustion. The wine rests in these barrels for 10 months, without any handling, and is then racked by gravity and finally bottled.

"Vinya Oculta" made in the bodega of Amós Bañeres presents a fascinating intense yellow colour and its appearance suggests a rather decisive structure. The nose is bewitching and carries the idea of open spaces and sunny crops: the impact is vigorously citrusy, with pungent notes of citrine peel and grapefruit, immediately flanked by more delicate hints of sweet vegetables such as carrots. The tail is lively, on the spicy nuances of ginger. The sip is intense and characterised by a clear saline persistence, balanced by the confirmation of a full body and creamy hints. Amós offers us an intense interpretation of Xarel-lo, to be enjoyed with mushroom-based preparations or medium-aged cheeses.