Description
A beautiful elegant red from Penedes, Spain. Shows wild strawberry, herbs and a touch of salty leather.
90 year old Carignan vines, planted by Manel’s grandfather in the 1930s, are hand picked then pressed to spend 25 days on skins in a mix of barrel, amphora, and foudre while fermenting native, prior to resting 18-24 months before bottling, without sulphur.
Since 2002 Manel Aviño has been producing wine under the name Clos Lentiscus. Clos Lentiscus are a family of winemakers trying to grasp the terroir’s essence with their wines. Before Manel took over the vineyard, his family had been working the vineyards, but selling the grapes to local cooperatives. After the death of Manel’s father, he decided to stop selling the grapes and start producing the wine himself. Today Clos Lentiscus is a father-daughter operation situated in Sant Pere de Ribes. Manel and Nuría make sparkling wines solely with indigenous yeasts, of the quality we’d associate with a grower champagne.
The family estate, surrounded by Mediterranean forests, facing South, is located in the Parque Natural del Garraf (protected area). At an altitude of 225m with a calcareous sandy soil, there they grow local varieties of grapes such as Malvasia de Sitges, Xarel.lo, Sumoll, Parellada, Cartoixà Vermell, Muscat d’Alexandria, Carignan and Ull de llebre. The whole farm is organized by one principal concept “biodynamics”, they make use of biodynamic treatments, teas and graze with their sheep and horse, Ringo.
In the cellar, since 2010, they have been producing natural wines : no bleaching, no filtration and no sulphites added ; Even in their bubbles they use wild yeast in fermentations. Their bees, also fulfil a very important role in their farm, pollination, contributing to biodiversity. Finally making it all come together they use the honey in the second fermentation in some of their bubbles. Winemaking first began on the estate in the 14th century, when the first stones of the Can Ramón farmhouse were laid alongside the old Roman road. Of the 65 hectares here, 22 are under vine. The remainder is Mediterranean forest: carobs, palms, holm oak and the mastic trees that give their name (Lentiscus) to the property.
Biodynamic farming
Natural winemaking
Vegetarian and Vegan friendly
75cl
