Celler Escoda-Sanahuja Llopetera Conca de Barbera Spain 2008 (1.5 Liter)

A winery founded in 2003, it is situated at the foot of the Prenafeta Mountain. It has 7 hectares of it’s own vineyard, cultivated with Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Garnacha, Cariñena and Chenin Blanc. The cultivation of the vineyard is totally biologically with biodynamic principles. These wines are as natural as you can get. Joan Ramon Escoda-Sanahuja uses no sulfites either in the vineyard or during any part of the vinification process (if possible). To ensure that his wines are stable, he puts the wines through a very long and slow maceration period under with very controlled temperature conditions. This method captures natural carbon dioxide which becomes a natural preservative to the wine and creates wines that have long and silky tannin structures with great follow through on the finish. The wines are not filtered, nor fined. All the bottling, vineyard management and harvest is done with the cycle of the moon - Bio-dynamic. The vineyards are of calcareous soils located at an altitude between 450 – 600m. This provides both character and elegance to the wines from it’s special terrain.

The wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir that are now going on 30+ years of age which are nestled in the foothills of Montblanc in the region of Conca de Barbera, Spain. All of Joan Ramón’s wines are made using biodynamic principles, hand-harvested, fully destemmed, and wild fermented and then aged in large old French barrels, bottled unfiltered, with absolutely no sulfites added at any point of vinification or aging in barrels. The wine goes through 15 days of maceration on the skins and then it is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. At the time when Joan Ramón made this red wine there were not many 100% Pinot Noirs made in Spain. The wine delivers great sense of place, earthy character, leathery undertones, mixed with notes of cherry, vibrant raspberry, with a nice long, lingering refreshing and tart finish. The wine craves some jamon iberico and charcuteries. In the world of natural wines, Escoda-Sanahuja is very well-regarded as a producer for making true natural wines.