Every month we’ll be tasting and learning about an iconic producer of Spanish wine in detail. To attend these tastings, please make sure you check the blog on the 1st of every month for the newsletter with the details, or join the Meet-up group to get updates as tastings become available.

It’s often said that DO Penedes attracts some of the most innovative wine-makers and projects in Spain, partly due to the varied climates and soils, and partly due to the relatively relaxed regulations around grape varieties and general wine production. However, there are also many excellent producers who’ve been around for quite some time, and this week we’ve chosen to look at one of my favourites; Can Rafols dels Caus. Details of the wines can be found at the end of the article.

As we’re only presenting a single Spanish producer per month as a dedicated tasting, the selection process is always a bit of a dilemma as there’s simply so many quality producers to choose from. Are they an iconic producer? Not really, as most people outside of Catalunya aren’t aware of who they are. Are they on the cutting-edge of wine innovation? Again, no. Whilst the use of some of their grape varieties are a little unorthodox, they have a refreshingly balanced approach to the creation of their wines. So why did we choose to showcase Can Rafols dels Caus this month? Simply put; they’re focused on slowly but surely improving the quality more than the size of their production, they’ve invested heavily into both the estate and their vineyards, and the results are starting to become very apparent in the glass. This methodical, honest and hard-working approach towards wine strikes a chord with me and I’ve very much enjoyed tasting their wines over the past year.

Carlos Esteva, owner of Can Rafols, has been at the estate since 1979 although the land itself was purchased in 1939 by his grandfather. The estate itself is a sizeable 450 hectares of land, although only 90 hectares are given over to vines and recently the family have acquired another 250 hectares of land, although my understanding is that it was only done to ensure that it wouldn’t be purchased by a stone-quarrying company which would, in their own words, ‘represent a serious threat to the environmental equilibrium of this part of the Garraf.” Where deep pockets meet strong principles, wine does remarkably well! Thanks to the undulating terrain, there are various slopes with different exposures to sunlight on top of the chalky, limestone mass that is the Massis del Garraf; a coastal mountain range in Catalunya which the vineyards of Can Rafols sit neatly on top of. This, along with differing depths of soil and an owner with a desire to experiment have led to the cultivation of more than 28 different grape varieties, with a nice blend of both indigenous Spanish and Catalan grapes, as well as other European varieties.

The vineyards are mostly either organically or biodynamically farmed, something that Carlos and his team don’t make a huge fuss about. To quote their website: “Good wines can only come from good grapes and balanced vines where production allows the grapes to ripen properly – there is a great belief that nature should be allowed to take its course…This is the philosophy at Can Ràfols dels Caus and the secret to making the best wines.” Seems fair enough to me! The last 40 years have seen Carlos invest heavily in the vineyards, both practically and in terms of research, as well as planting new varieties. As you’ll see from the single vineyard wines in a moment, this has paid enormous dividends with those varieties now approaching 30 years of age and a good balance between vigour and fruit concentration.

The estate itself was originally constructed during the reign of the Romans over 2000 years ago now, and unsurprisingly when Carlos decided to spruce it up a little in 1979, there was a little bit of work to be done. The biggest issue by far was the old cellar, which would have undone a lot of the hard work and investment in the vineyard had they continued to use it to make wine. In 1994 Carlos decided to renovate it completely and whilst I can’t find a cost quoted for it, it was an enormous undertaking, completely changing the 2000m2 space into a modern facility, designed to be both clean, hygienic and optimally functional. It’s completely embedded into the stone of the Massif del Garraf with huge, stone doors designed to make you feel as though you’re walking into a mountain. Only wine is made here, leaving enough space for both the production of wine as well as simultaneous visits to the facility, with gravity harnessed to carry the finished wine into a nearby bottling facility.

It was a pleasure to present the wines of Can Rafols dels Caus last night and below is a list of the wines we drank as well as the reception they got from our 10 tasters as part of our weekly wine tasting here in Barcelona:

1. Gran Caus Blanc 2014 – Xarel.lo, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay. 

   An interesting point about even the affordable wines of Can Rafols is that the wines are always held back for 2 years or more in the bodega before being commercially released, to allow the wines to settle and evolve slightly. This is an impressive part of their production and that it applies to wines like this fresh, zesty white, Gran Caus Blanc, even more so. At 13 euros a bottle, this would be warmly received at any dinner table.

2. Gran Caus Rosé 2015 – Merlot 

   I really like this style of rosé wine; bright pink, immensely fruity and very, very old-school. Most Spanish rosé wines you see today imitate the enormously fashionable style of wine from around Provence in the south of France; light, salmon-pink, delicately perfumed and soft on the palate. Traditionally in Spain, macerations were longer (18 hours in this case), making the colour deeper and the wine more intensely flavoured. They don’t look as attractive in a transparent glass bottle but there’s a lot to be said for a glassful of strawberries, cherries and red plums! Simple, honest and delicious.

   

3. Pairal Xarel.lo 2012 – Xarel.lo

   Xarel.lo continues to make a case for being the Catalan white grape variety to pay attention to. This was the first of the single vine-yard white wines that we tried, and it ended up blowing the other two away, despite being the most affordable of the three. Made from the oldest vines on the estate, between 60 and 70 years old, and aged in chestnut oak for 4 months and then the mandatory 2 years in bottle, this was the group favourite by a significant margin. Still quite lightly coloured but full of evolving fruit aromas, light oak influences and a lovely nuttiness. I enjoyed learning about the use of chestnut oak (more porous than normal oak, with slightly fewer congeners to impart) and I can’t help but feel that it had some impact on the evolution of the flavours, whilst maintaining the freshness of the wine. The Wine of the Night with a very impressive 7 votes!

4. El Rocalis 2012 – Incrocio Manzoni

   The second of the single vineyard wines and made from an interesting grape variety that seems to be slowly infiltrating Catalan white wine production; Incrocio Manzoni, named after Professor Luigi Manzoni of Italy’s oldest school of oenology in Veneto. A cross between Riesling and Pinot Blanc, it certainly takes strongly after the former with fresh, green fruit aromas, citrus components and that lovely element of minerality so often found in good quality Riesling. 4 months in oak softens the wine and I can’t help but feel this could age for quite a bit longer, as it was still quite focused on primary aromas and flavours.

5. La Calma 2012 – Chenin Blanc

   Like El Rocalis, La Calma is a single vineyard wine with grapes planted around 25-30 years ago, with this wine focusing on Chenin Blanc. Whilst it’s uncommon to see 100% Chenin Blanc wines in Catalunya, various wineries are experimenting with it as part of their blends and it’s easy to see why; with it’s ability to grow in a variety of climates whilst maintaining depth of flavour and naturally high levels of acidity, Chenin Blanc is truly an under-rated variety. La Calma is now starting to come into its own as the vines age. Also like El Rocalis, I’d be interested to see this wine in 5-10 years time!

   

6. Can Rafols Sumoll 2013 – Sumoll

   The indigenous red variety that’s capturing the hearts of everyone in Penedes at the moment, Sumoll is slowly gaining momentum in the Catalan wine industry. The vines at Can Rafols are over 50 years old now and this is one of the best expressions of Sumoll I’ve had the pleasure of trying. Lightly coloured and delicately aromatic, with notes of raspberry, cranberry and wild herbs; I always think of Sumoll as being somewhere between Pinot Noir and Mencia. The use of large chestnut barrels is back at work here and the result is a lovely, quaffable wine. This was the second favourite wine of the evening after Pairal.

   

7. Gran Caus Tinto 2008 – Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

   Last but not least, we finished with a Bordeaux blend, the greatest of the “Gran Caus” range and a throw-back to the sort of wines that inspired Carlos Esteva from a young age. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and aged for 12 months in barrel, then another 4 years in bottle before release. At 12.5% ABV, this was styled on old-school Bordeaux and had the classic green bell pepper, graphite and muted fruit of a cooler vintage from the region. The beauty of this wine was the powdery tannins and long, savoury finish. Certainly not a wine for everyone and about as far away from typical Spanish wine as it’s possible to be, showcasing the diversity of the Can Rafols estate. A lovely finish to a lovely evening!