Pacs del Penedès, Spain
precise, organic, limestone
Parés Baltà, an all-organic winery whose "Mas Petit" cab/grenache blend we served hundreds of cases of two years ago, is based west of Barcelona on Spain's east coast in Pacs del Penedès (pahx del pen-uh-DESS).
Their "Calcari" is very light in color and smells like chalk and pears. It's light-bodied, but offers a great burst of tart fruit and minerality right after it hits your palate. I would say that the minerality specifically suggests limestone, or chalkiness, but that's not a useful detail for every guest. For such a light wine, it's got a really pleasant and long finish. It resembles the clean, yet mouthwatering and slightly fruity of the Naveran Cava, which also contains Xarello.
It's very unusual to see a wine made entirely from the Xarello grape, as this one is. The Catalan pronunciation is "shah-RELL-oh." "Calcari" means "calcareous," meaning "composed of calcium carbonate," like the limestone in the vineyard soil.
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