Espenyalluchs 2022

Wine Description for Espenyalluchs 2022 by Enric Soler

Colour & Appearance

Luminous pale gold in the glass, clear and brilliant – a visual promise of Mediterranean freshness.

Nose

Remarkably precise and cool for a wine from hot Catalonia. The bouquet unfolds citric notes, interwoven with smoky nuances and a pronounced stony minerality. The nose is dense, intense and yet marked by elegant restraint – almost Nordic in its clarity, despite its southern origin.

Palate

Here the true class of this Xarel.lo reveals itself: crisp acidity despite the hot 2022 vintage, moderate 12.5% alcohol and a vibrant freshness that enlivens the palate. Citrus fruits and stone fruits combine with a creamy texture that gives the wine body without compromising its directness. The balance between density and precision is extraordinary.

Finish

Long and marked by invigorating salinity. The wine leaves a clear, mineral impression that invites the next sip – a sign of great drinkability and complexity.

Terroir & Origin

From a single hectare in Penedès, biodynamically farmed. The vineyards benefit from proximity to the Catalan coast, which despite the Mediterranean climate provides cooling influences and preserves the grape variety’s characteristic acidity structure.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Xarel.lo, spontaneously fermented and aged in used 300-litre oak barrels. Enric Soler impressively demonstrates that this often underestimated Catalan variety can do far more than simply provide Cava base wine – in his hands it becomes an expression of precision and depth.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Perfect with halibut or other noble white fish, excellent also with mushroom risotto. The saline minerality harmonises beautifully with seafood, scallops or pan-fried turbot. Also a revelation with goat’s cheese or creamy pasta dishes.

Special Features

Enric Soler, a former award-winning sommelier, produces fewer than 15,000 bottles annually and ranks among Spain’s finest white wine producers. This Espenyalluchs is a vineyard site wine of extraordinary individuality – a wine full of clarity, balance and Mediterranean soul with a cool head.