The D.O. Penedés is not just about sparkling wines. For some years now, this denomination south of Barcelona (in northeastern Spain), has been surprising everyone with high quality and highly expressive white wines. The main responsibility for this lies in the Xarel·lo, a typical variety of the area that wins people over with its modern style. But it’s not the only one. There are also some international varieties, like Chardonnay, which also surprise everyone with very good results. This winning pairing is the soul of Torelló Gran Crisalys.
Torelló Gran Crisalys is a white wine that is fermented and aged in barrels; one of those still wines that surprise you when you’ve taken your first sip and someone tells you it was made specifically in the Alto Penedés. This area, where clay-limestone soils abound, is where the Torelló family cultivates 135 hectares, 80 of which are certified organic vineyards. This helps us to update our mental map of wines, because this area is unquestionably associated with sparkling wines. However, despite the lack of bubbles, the character and acidity remain just as characteristic and recognisable, marked by a Mediterranean climate with frequent rainfall and a great temperature contrast that abounds near the Cordillera Prelitoral.
Likewise, quality, which begins with organic certification in the vineyard, is a constant in the production process of Torelló Gran Crisalys. From the harvest (which is done manually in 25 kg boxes and small trailers), to the actual pressing (carried out with inert technology to avoid oxidation), the grapes are always harvested in order to achieve the best preservation. From this pressing, only the first portion, also known as free-run juice, will be used, because it is higher quality than the later pressings. This is essential to ensure good fermentation in new French oak barrels (in the case of Xarel·lo) and in stainless steel tanks (Chardonnay). Only the barrels marked with a cross will be chosen for bottling (hence the label). All in all a great wine to try!