AUS Tallarol 2023

AUS Tallarol is a natural white made in Alella, on the coast just north of Barcelona, from the estate behind Alta Alella. The family project has recovered the native varieties of the area, and this wine is a single variety Pansa Blanca, the local name for Xarel·lo. Alella's defining soil is sauló, a pale granitic sand, and the vineyards sit on hills close to the Mediterranean, where sea breezes and the free draining sandy soils keep the fruit fresh and lend the wine its salinity and minerality. It is farmed and made with low intervention, fermented with wild yeasts and aged in clay amphorae, which allow a gentle oxygen exchange and light lees and skin contact that add texture and a faint grip while contributing no oak character. The colour is pale straw. The nose is fresh and floral, with green apple and lemon over white flowers, white peach and dried thyme. The palate is dry and linear, with a stony, saline finish that reflects the granitic soil. Serve at 9 to 11 degrees. It suits shellfish, white fish and fresh salads.