Parés Baltà Electio 2023

Parés Baltà is a family winery in Penedès founded in 1790, run by the Cusiné brothers with their wives Marta Casas and María Elena Jiménez, both oenologists. Its vineyards are farmed organically across five estates lying between 170 and 750 metres above sea level. Electio is made from estate-grown Xarel·lo, the thick-skinned Catalan white that carries texture and resists oxidation, qualities that make it well suited to barrel work. The higher, cooler sites hold acidity in the fruit, while limestone soils lend a mineral base. Here the wine is barrel-fermented and given four months in oak, so the wood and the wine develop together, drawing a rounder body and a gentle nutty depth from time on the lees rather than a heavy oak overlay. The colour is a bright straw-gold. The nose shows ripe pear and white peach with a light aniseed note, almond and a touch of vanilla from the barrel. The palate is textured and dry, the oak folded into the fruit, with a creamy weight and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees in a white wine glass. It suits richer white fish, roast chicken, pork and hard cheeses.