La Salada Roig Boig 2024

Celler La Salada was set up by Toni Carbó in the Penedès to continue the work of his father and grandfather on land that has never seen synthetic products. Roig Boig is a young natural red built from a field of local grapes: Xarel·lo, Mandó, Mònica, Sumoll, Cannonau and Turbat, the kind of mixed old-vine plantings that define traditional Catalan viticulture. The vines sit on clay-limestone soils that hold water and lend freshness, and the Mediterranean climate ripens the fruit gently enough to keep alcohol low at 10.5 per cent. In the cellar Carbó works with minimal intervention and no added wine products, fermenting with native yeasts and ageing four months in stainless steel rather than oak. Steel keeps the wine reductive and bright, preserving the primary fruit and the terroir character rather than layering on wood. Expect a pale, vivid red, light bodied and juicy, with crunchy red berries, cherry and red currant, a floral lift and a dried-herb, earthy edge. The palate is fresh and low in tannin, easy and digestible, with a clean finish. Serve lightly chilled at 13 to 14 degrees. A natural red for charcuterie and lighter plates. Vegan friendly.