9+ SALUT! 1 Liter 2024

9+ SALUT! comes from Nou de Gaià in Catalonia, the project Moisès Virgili i Rovira began in 2010. It is built from the indigenous trio of Sumoll, Tempranillo and Cartoixà Rojo, all organically farmed. The wine is an orange wine, meaning these white and red grapes are macerated on their skins so the juice takes colour, texture and phenolics from the skin tannins rather than being pressed straight off. That maceration is kept short, which holds the grip light and keeps the fruit forward. The skins also carry aromatic compounds and a faint structural chew that a conventional white never shows. The result pours a vibrant amber. The nose runs to ripe apricot and white peach, orange peel and dried Mediterranean herbs, with a touch of honey. The palate is dry and textured, the fruit cut by a saline, almost briny freshness that reflects the coastal Tarragona setting. The finish is clean and savoury. It is bottled in a litre format because smaller volumes sell out quickly. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white wine glass. It works as an aperitif and alongside lighter dishes where a white would usually sit.