2017 Recaredo Serral del Vell Corpinnat

Biodynamic. 87% Xarel·lo, 13% Macabeu. This striking single-vineyard wine takes its name from the sloping Serral del Vell estate overlooked by the Montserrat mountains. The soil of the Serral del Vell plateau contains calcareous lumps and quite a bit of limestone from the Serra del Mar and the Serra Catalana, which were deposited in the area due to erosion. From these lean, rocky soils and these mature vines, Recaredo is searching for the truest expression of the site’s most mineral soils (containing 33% active limestone). Only the Xarel·lo base wines are fermented in large-format oak. Recaredo prefers to use tanks for their Macabeu. Yields from Recaredo vineyards dipped to 26.5 hl/ha in 2017, and you can feel the fleshy intensity and low-yield energy coursing through the palate. With air, the 2017 develops some lovey nutty complexity, yet the style rests more on purity and salty-mineral impact than simple autolytic notes and dosage despite the lengthy 64 months on lees.