Oriol Artigas El Rall 2022

Oriol Artigas is a young Catalan winemaker based in D.O. Alella, just north of Barcelona, who works to recover Sumoll, an old Mediterranean variety once widespread in Catalonia and reduced to a few hundred hectares by higher yielding imports. El Rall 2022 blends Sumoll with Merlot, Garnacha Tinta and Syrah, farmed organically and made naturally with minimal intervention. Alella's sandy granite soils, known as sauló, drain quickly and give light, aromatic wines, while the sea breezes off the nearby coast keep the fruit fresh and the alcohol modest, here a low 12 percent. Sumoll brings bright acidity, red fruit and a savoury, herbal edge, the other varieties adding flesh and depth. The wine spends around seven months split between stainless steel, which preserves freshness and primary fruit, and barrel, which softens the tannins through gentle oxygen exchange. The result is a light to medium bodied red, bright ruby in the glass, with a nose of red berries, cherry, plum and crushed black pepper over dried herbs and earth. The palate is fresh and juicy, with low, supple tannin and a savoury finish. Serve lightly chilled at 14 to 16 degrees. It is versatile at the table and can stand in for a white.