2021 Els Vinyerons Pregadeu Cava Penedes, Catalonia

Els Vinyerons Vins Naturals is a brilliantly realized project to make inexpensive organic, sans soufre, terroir wines. The vines and winemaking space belong to Alex Ruiz whose family are large-scale producers of Cava and who wanted to make wine on an artisanal scale from fully organic vines. The inspiration, and the poetry, is mostly from Amós Bañeres, as Consultant, whose own wines are very limited in production and so wanted to make something more readily available. The wines are designed to be clean and easy to drink while fully capturing the fruit character of the grape and soil and climate. The names come from insects that are active in organic vineyard. Alex never forgot that his grandfather casually remarked on that back in the day. Lluerna is a firefly. Saltamarti a cricket. Pregadéu is a praying mantis.

Ancestral method, delicious cava, getting the maximum expression out of the Xarel·lo variety. First in stainless steel tanks and the end of the fermentation takes place in the bottle itself on its fine lees for 18 months. Named after the European mantis (Pregadéu) in honour of the healthy, balanced ecosystems that allow vines to grow. Beautifully fresh with baked apple and pear.

Sulphur free