2021 La Rodeda

The single-vineyard 2021 La Rodeda comes from a small plot (0.4 hectares) of some 79 years of age planted with Garnacha Peluda, the biotype of Garnacha with a more rustic character and more acidity. It fermented with full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in a used 228-liter French oak barrel. It's juicy and has some grainy tannins, and the oak is definitely better integrated than in other vintages. It's sharper and with good balance and acidity. Only 304 bottles were produced and filled in April 2023. Carles Ortiz and Ester Nin produce 30,000 bottles, 100% of them with grapes from their own vineyards. All of their vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic, but they still don't have the certification for the wines. 2021 was an atypical year, with a big snowstorm in January, a cooler year but not as much as 2013, 2010 or 2018, and they said it was a more Mediterranean version of 2020. They harvested late, the alcohol was lower (they had some difficulties to achieve the minimum alcohol required by the appellation in some wines), and the wines are fresher but the ripeness was good (looking at the polyphenols and so on). There will be a new Garnacha from young vines in La Coma d'en Romeu. They have been planting small plots (and replacing dead vines) in their old vineyards, a trend that I see in many producers as they have to get ready for the future; if you want old vines in 50 years from now, you have to plant them now! They are also extremely worried about the lack of water and have dug a well in their Planetes vineyard that gives them very little water, but at least it's something. Unfortunately, Cariñena Blanca, the white mutation of Cariñena, is still not approved by the Priorat appellation, mainly because it's a grape that delivers wines with moderate alcohol—a blessing in the warm climate, a grape resistant to drought and pat for the climate change—usually below what the appellation requires (13% for whites). They had applied for an exception to this rule for the wines produced with Cariñena Blanca to be allowed at 12.5% alcohol, but it was rejected. So, after 11 vintages, their white is still an experimental wine.

The 2021 La Rodeda is 100% Garnatxa Peluda sourced from Porrera in Priorat. It was fermented with 100% whole clusters. A light wine, the nose features cherry and grapefruit notes, along with toffee, dried plums and rosemary. Dry and lean, the taut, concentrated and slightly rough tannins contrast with the ethereal mouthfeel. The 2021 is full of joy.