Description
Vinyes Domènech produces a 100% Garnacha white wine, in Priorat (in the Sierra de Llaberia, Tarragona), and is obtained from three plots with very different soils, which give it its complexity.
Technical sheet
Store: Vinyes Domenech
DO: Montsant
Add: 2021
Variety: 100% White Grenache of small grain
Grade: 14,0% vol.
Tasting note:
It is a wine with a clean and bright yellow color. On the nose, it is a wine with a great aromatic complexity that has notes of fruit and white flower, at the same time as other more citrus notes of lime. It then gives way to balsamic notes, with spices such as cardamom or ginger. In the mouth it is just as fresh, the notes of aromatic herbs are appreciated. A finish with fruity notes and mineral touches.
Operating temperature: 8 ° C - 10 ° C.
Viticulture: ecological and certified by the CCPAE and in conversion.
Geology and soil: three plots of different soils give the Rita wine complexity and authenticity: stony calcareous, liqueur and white panel.
Crafting: after the manual harvest, the grapes are allowed to cool to 2-4ºC. Once they have been destemmed, the must obtained rests in French oak barrels in which this white wine macerates and ferments with wild yeasts. It is in these barrels where the wine rests on its lees for five months.
Pairing: en Made in Spain Gourmet, we recommend it above all, with fish; but also with some white meats and the wonderful semi-cured sheep and vegan cheeses such as Veggie Karma, as well as the creamy Alma de Calaveruela cheese.
Rita Wine: a soft Mediterranean breath in Priorat
Vinyes Domènech is synonymous with the dignity of certified organic and biodynamic viticulture between the Llaberia and Montalt mountains, a decorously protected natural area, surrounded by mountains and lush forests. Honest wines, sustainable practices, in a bioclimatic building with functional architecture, integrated into the environment that generates electricity with renewable energy. It is a sustainable and very green winery, which even uses rainwater, with an integral concept to minimize the degradation of the landscape they worship.
The Domènech family, originally from Falset, has owned one of the oldest vineyards in Capçanes, 2002 meters above sea level, since 500. With the magic of craftsmanship, they make unique wines with spirit that transport you to the Mediterranean. An iconic 100% small-grain white Garnacha, a highly desired variety for its freshness, its adaptation to the territory (it adapts well to poor soils and heat) and its very accentuated fruit expression.
Three very different plots of soil give it this complexity. 0 hectares of licorella, one of very stony limestone clay and half a hectare of white honeycomb. Entry of the grapes into the chamber until the temperature drops to 3-2 degrees. Skidded and bled after a few hours to begin alcoholic fermentation with wild yeasts and five months on lees.
It is a wine where you literally feel the sea breeze. A wine with the strong personality of the old vines and the admiration of the person who gives it its name, Joan Ignasi Domènech's wife.
A sustainable and authentic viticulture
For this reason, Domènech defines his philosophy as “honest, direct and natural”, because “it does not modify what the wisdom of the earth offers”. And therein lies his success, in "swimming with the current and flowing with what the vine demands." A way of respecting the land and the environment that places the landscape as the essence of its wines. A commitment and a lifestyle marked by the territory, culture and tradition through sustainable processes and green practices. This is Vinyes Domenech.
A committed viticulture
The difficulty of accessing the plots due to their steep slopes means that viticulture must be done manually. Since 2008, Vinyes Domenech has been CCPAE certified and they apply techniques such as the use of plant cover or the elimination of chemical products, exclusively using organic fertilizers.
For Domènech, the environment is key to the production of his wines. The climate forges the character of its wines. They are just a few kilometers from the Mediterranean, although the area is very dry, with lots of sun and strong gusts of wind. The aromas of the more than 70 classified plants that are distributed throughout the vineyard and from the undergrowth are transferred to the grape and give it very particular characteristics. Its Garnachas evolve in a very unique way since the vegetative cycle of the plant is slower, the sugar levels are different. And it's all thanks to the land. In addition, they vinify each plot separately to obtain the maximum expression of each vineyard and we look for the right proportions to achieve the balance they need for their wines.
The complexity of success
When we talk about wine quality, Domènech is clear: For him, there are two conceptions of quality. One is that of a wine with a soul that transports you to a specific geography and place, and another, that of a technological wine that meets all the organoleptic requirements.
And perhaps this is one of the key factors of Vinyes Domenech, that its flavor is so particular that it transports you to a climate, a terrain and a place. For him, wine is like a person, if you look at it... It tells you everything. There are no secrets in this business, it's about listening to nature, asking the right questions and finding the answers by looking at the land you work.
But respecting nature 100% has its risks and gives rise to what Domènech calls “meteorological wines”, those that depend on the weather conditions of the vintage. And here the consequences of climate change come into play: "The rainfall regime and frequency is changing, as well as the average temperatures that are increasing in some months of the year... But we must take into account that natural change exists, so it would be necessary to stop being so hypocritical and take real action. From organic farming, paths are opening up, but there are very few of us who really believe in it and the certifications are too complicated”.
The eternal discussion, the difficulty that many small farmers face to certify their products as organic. But once they do, should they sell them for more? “'Eco' products do not have to be more expensive, but it is true that they have a greater value for the effort involved in making them. In the vineyard, if I used phytosanitary products I would have some jobs done in a day, but I have decided not to do it and the consequence is a longer period of work. The consumer has to be aware of this and I see that young people are clear about it”.
A socially responsible company
"We carry out sustainable, organic and green practices in the vineyard, in the winery, in our wines and in the services we offer", asserts Domènech. And this has placed them as a benchmark that has won awards on several occasions and has allowed them to be the first winery in the Montsant Denomination of Origin with a greenhouse gas emissions certificate for each of its bottles.
Its winery, a bioclimatic building with functional architecture, integrates into the environment and generates electricity with 90% renewable energy, taking advantage of rainwater and recovering natural sources. This responds to a commitment to the 'GreenCeller', a comprehensive concept that includes organic vineyards, bioclimatic architecture and green technologies that help minimize the degradation of the landscape, fauna and flora.
Israel Romero -
Joan Ignasi Domenech is a magician in the use of aromatic herbs. He achieves with this wine a magnificent and spectacular combination.