2013 Celler Joaquim Batlle “Foranell” Picapoll Alella

Region: Alella < Catalunya < Spain
Grapes: 100% Picapoll
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; steep hillside vineyards, granitic topsoil with limestone subsoil; 8-10 hours of skin contact, fermentation and aging in stainless steel, one year on lees; bottled unfined/unfiltered with <25ppm SO2; 13% ABV
Winemaker: Quim Batlle

There is a common misconception that red wines age better than white, and even that white wine is not to be aged at all. Not true! Some of the best wines for aging are white – Savennieres, German Riesling, Chardonnay… Spain shows off a version of its own with this super fun discovery, a Picapoll from Catalunya, just 20 minutes from Barcelona. Quim Batlle is a one man show: owner, farmer, and winemaker, and one of the first modern vignerons to stake his place in the D.O. of Alella (now ultra-trendy). This wine has a few years of bottle age, giving it nutty, complex aromas; in your mouth, the flavors bounce around between overripe pear and pineapple, a lingering saltiness, the strong backbone of minerality, and a chalky structure. It has evolved in the best way imaginable – to become better than it was 3 years ago, no question. This is a white for the table, and would be amazing with mushroom frittata, or roast pork or chicken.