Partida Creus BN 2020

Appellation: Tarragona

A blend of Macabeo and Cartoixa Vermell.

Partida Creus is the project of two Italians now in residence in the Tarragona region of Catalonia, just south of Barcelona. The idea of the project was to work with historical, often overlooked local varietals that in many cases were not recognised by the D.O. of the area: Penedès. Massimo and Antonella strategically went about buying up small plots of abandoned vineyards dotted around the area where mostly unknown varietals such as Garrut, Vinyater, Samsó and Queixal de Llop grew. They sought to revitalise the vines and work out the best expression for these old varetals, working without chemicals in the vineyard and without selected yeasts or any other additions in the cellar. They make an impressively dizzying number of different wines, all of which are unified by a very distinctive house style - raw, viceral and pungent reds, and salty, turbid, expressive whites. As a couple they have an insatiable energy which really comes through in the wine.

BN stands for Blanco Natural. Mainly Macabeo, it also has a small percentage of Cartoixa Vermell, a white grape with light pink skins that gives the Partida Creus BN a peachy tint after a very brief bit of skin maceration. The juice is briny, with savoury aromas of straw-like yellow citrus. The acidity is up there, lots of mouth watering piquancy that just calls out for a plate of boquerones to go with it.

The Partida Creus BN is unfiltered and unfined.