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Autocton White Blend, Xarel-Lo, Xarel-Lo Vermell, Malvasia De Sitges And Macabeu A Complicated Wine From Southern Spain

1/11/2017

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by Patrick Ogle

Autocton Cellers 2015 white blend is is xarel-lo, xarel-lo vermell, malvasia de sitges and macabeu (also spelled macabeo). These are all familiar grapes for lovers of Spanish whites. Xarel-lo and macabeu are in any case; the other two are grapes are cousins of  xarel-lo and malvasia. Xarel-lo vermell has a pinkish skin which is thicker than usual for xarel-lo. It also has higher acidity. Malvasia de sitges is a type of the ancient malvasia grape that has often been used in sweet wine production. It is one of many grapes that might easily have gone extinct (there are many out there now facing this oblivion). You can read a fascinating history of malvasia de sitges HERE.

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My first thought regarding the nose of this wine was “grassy.”  That is, however, dead wrong: the nose is more a whiff of a herb garden than mundane grass clippings. There is perfuminess here and floral hints. It is tart, zippy and is a lively wine that has so much complexity that it might beg some time before drinking. You get a feeling you are missing something in the various tastes and scents here.

It is a wine that has body and acidity. I thought it might be fruity but it isn't (where it is from might be warmer and warmer usually means fruitier). But this is xarel-lo. It is a rich wine with a bitter finish and, here on this site, I eschew terms like "mouth feel" but here you sort of have to write it--this wine has a full, luscious mouth feel to go along with that bitter finish. This wine would stand up to rich food too: heavy, rich cheeses but it is perfectly suited to just having a glass.
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Raventos I Blanc's Silencis Xarel-Lo 2013, A Crisp, Tart Alternative For Sauvignon Blanc Or Chenin Blanc Drinkers

7/23/2015

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Picture
by Patrick Ogle

Raventos i Blanc's Silencis xarel-lo 2013 is a tart, crisp wine with a super dry finish. It might seem a little cloudy in the glass. It has nice acidity—higher than American or Aussie sauvignon blancs. If you are a sauvignon blanc-- or chenin blanc-- lover looking for something a little different? This is a wine worth your attention.

When you think of “acid” you may think it a negative. This isn't true in wine. Certainly you do not want an overly acidic wine but some acid adds to a wine's character. Acidity is one part of a complex wine.

Sniff this you get a hint of grassiness but this isn’t readily apparent in the taste. While smell and taste are connected they are certainly not identical. There is a hint of grapefruit pith; really I am not just writing that to be obscure, beer drinkers may recall this taste from various grapefruit summer beers. It imparts a certain citrusy bitterness. As this wine warms up the grassy elements become more apparent. If you like that? Maybe serve it a little warmer? If you do not? Serve it colder! There is a hint of minerality here too—maybe even something approaching saltiness.

You may have had xarel-lo and not realized it; the grape is one of the components in the Spanish sparkling wine, Cava. It is one of three main grapes used in making Cava. I've read about this being the more aromatic of the grapes used in making Cava (with all due respect to macabeo/viura).

This wine will make you want to explore more from this Spanish winemaker (especially their sparklers).

$22-26


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    WINE!

    There are thousands of wine grapes and many places that grow great wines. Why not find out about some surprising wines from surprising places?

    NOTE-Until recently I did not capitalize the names of varietal grapes (as a matter of style) but for a variety of reasons as of February, 2018 we will capitalize but I am not going back and altering the previous style!!!


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