Terra Vermella 2018

Wine Description for Terra Vermella 2018 by Familia Nin Ortiz

Colour & Appearance

Radiant golden yellow with youthful green reflections – remarkably pale for a wine from the pink Parellada Montonegra mutation.

Nose

An olfactory fireworks display reminiscent of great Burgundian white wines: match-stick aromatics, wild herbs, grapefruit and salted almond. These are joined by oyster shell and a salty sea breeze evoking stony coastlines. This mineral intensity and purity are rarely found – a wine that already delivers pure joy on the nose.

Palate

Fascinatingly juicy with yellow fruit and smoky notes, carried by vibrant acidity. Purism in its purest form: cool, precise, powerful yet playful. The 6.5 grams of acidity at moderate 12% alcohol creates a balance that makes this wine feel feather-light despite its intensity. A spectacular price-to-quality ratio.

Finish

Long, mineral and saline, with lingering freshness and a fine smoky aftertaste.

Terroir & Origin

From a one-hectare vineyard site, 37 years old, in Alt-Penedès, Pla de Manlleu, at 550 metres elevation. The eponymous red clay soil (terra vermella) shapes the character of this extraordinary wine. Farmed by Jaume Nin Llort, a family member of Ester Nin Ortiz.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Parellada Montonegra – an extremely rare, pink mutation of the Cava grape variety Parellada, which Ester and Carles Nin Ortiz have rediscovered. Gently crushed, 24 hours skin contact, slowly pressed, spontaneously fermented and aged in 300-litre wooden barrel. Despite a warm vintage, a fresh, precise wine.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Kohlrabi from salt crust with olive oil and truffle, grilled red mullet with fennel cream, orange and anise, veal in Iberico ham crust with tarragon sauce. Be sure to decant and enjoy from large glasses at not-too-cold temperature!

Special Features

An oenological rarity: Familia Nin Ortiz has become specialists in forgotten Catalan grape varieties. Following the revival of Carignan Blanc, now this fascinating Parellada mutation – a wine that brings Burgundy and Loire to Catalonia.