Enric Soler Improvisacio Xarel-lo 2016
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
40-65 year-old Xarel.lo, grown in bush vines in calcareous clay @ 260m. Spontaneous fermentation and ageing a mix of used French oak (2nd, 3rd, and 4th year) and concrete egss. No battonage. Bottled with minimal SO2.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Cropped from a cooler year, the 2016 Improvisació comes from the same vineyards and was produced in the same way as the 2015: pure Xarello fermented with indigenous yeasts in used barrels and concrete eggs, where it matured for eight months. It has lower alcohol and higher acidity than the 2015. I found it to be wild and alive, a bit raw, with some earthy and organic notes (wet forest floor), even a little animal. There is no oak whatsoever, and the palate is effervescent with high acids and sharp minerality. The finish is long, almost salty. I found this wine more radical than I remembered it being.
Other Vintages
2019-
Parker
Robert
Primarily associated with the Penedès region of Spain, Xarel-lo plays an important role in most Cava blends along with Parellada and Macabeo. Prized for its high levels of acidity and polyphenols, Xarel-lo adds strength, body and a distinct greengage or earthy character to these blends. Somm Secret—Just a few miles northeast of Barcelona, Xarel-lo vineyards around the town of Alella produce highly regarded still wines with fresh lemon and stone fruit flavors.
A superior source of white grapes for the production of Spain’s prized sparkling wine, Cava, the Penedes region is part of Catalunya and sits just south of Barcelona. Medio Penedès is the most productive source of the Cava grapes, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Penedes also grows Garnacha and Tempranillo (here called Ull de Llebre in Catalan), for high quality reds and rosès.