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
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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