2021 Ca' di Mat Valautin Albillo Real

Region: Sierra de Gredos, Spain

Grape: Albillo

Culinary Suggestions: Seafood Paella, Garlic Prawns, Quiche, Grilled White Fish

Vineyard Practice: Sustainable

About

I am really happy to be able to bring the superb wines produced by Curro Bareño and Jesus Olivares at Ca’ di Mat (meaning ''Crazy House" in Italian) to Australia. Having held a passion for wines produced from Grenache, or Garnacha here, for my whole career I was bowled over by the wines from Spain's Sierra de Gredos upon first tasting them some years ago. 

Stylistically they are truly sui generis - mountain wines from ancient bush vines, grown on decomposed granitic soils between 600-1000m altitude. This means they are taut, crisp and pure in style, relatively low in alcohol for Grenache and somewhat lighter in colour too. These are athletic mountain wines though, they have a tension and vigour that put's them up there with the very very best.

The estate has 20 hectares of 30-80 year old vines which are cultivated organically and include Garnacha and Albillo. Much of the vineyard land is under recovery and this is being undertaken slowly to ensure the old vines have a chance to recover, rather than replanting. It is a continental climate with annual average at rainfall 600 mm and annual average temperature of only 13,7 º C.

Wine making is along the minimal intervention path that we like; indigenous yeasts, cold gentle macerations and the use of whole brunches produce delicate, fragrant and ethereal wines to fascinate and delight.

We look forward to bringing these beautiful wines to you here in Australia! - Importer Note

Tasting Notes

The village white 2021 Valautín Albillo from San Martín de Valdeiglesias was produced with grapes from different vineyards, mostly old ones on granite soils. The bunches were pressed directly, and 50% of the juice fermented in 300- and 500-liter barrels and the rest in stainless steel. The wine matured with lees (without stirring them) in the fermentation vessels for 12 months. In this cooler year, the wine reached 14.4% alcohol. It's juicy and fresh, with tasty flavors, lightness, freshness and balance in a year when they got good yields (and have more vineyards for this wine). It's clean and deep, with a soft texture, focused flavors and a dry finish. 6,800 bottles were filled in September 2022.

92 points - Luis Gutierrez, Wine Advocate June 2023

Drink: 2023 - 2027