Principia Mathematica 2023

Alemany i Corrió is a small Penedès operation set up in 1999 by Irene Alemany and Laurent Corrió, who met studying oenology in Burgundy and brought that barrel-driven approach home. Principia Mathematica comes from a single plot in Sant Pere de Molanta in the Alt Penedès, planted with 30-year-old Xarel·lo, a variety valued for its structure and its resistance to oxidation. The grapes are whole-bunch pressed and the juice ferments in 228 and 700 litre new French oak barrels, with a long spell on the lees. Barrel fermentation and lees ageing are what give the wine its body and toasty depth: the oak adds vanilla and spice while the slow breakdown of the lees builds a creamy, savoury texture and a nutty, waxy weight. It is deep straw in colour, with white peach, ripe pear and toasted bread over vanilla, almond and a fennel-like herbal edge. The palate is full and layered, the oak folded into the fruit, closing long and dry. Serve at 11 to 13 degrees in a large glass.