L’Apical – Coll de Sitja Ancestral – DO Penedès

Macabeu.

In this case, we work with macabeo by using another method, which generates bubbles in the wine. This is called the ancestral method, which is an old-fashioned technique to produce sparkling wines. It was in the 16th century when this method was discovered and probably it was discovered by chance. In France, in the city of Limoux, when glass bottles and cork caps began to be used, somebody bottled wine because s/he thought the alcoholic fermentation was finished, but it wasn’t, actually. It was due to the low temperatures that stuck fermentation occurred within bottles. Later, in spring, due to rising temperatures, stuck fermentation revived inside bottles.This led people to see how a sparkling wine was made and then the ancestral method happened.

Variety: Macabeu more than 35 years old, Llorenç del Penedès, Tarragona. Ecological agriculture not certified

In comparison to the traditional wine making method, in the ancestral method there is only one fermentation without adding sugar or yeast (only those coming from the vine itself). We bottle this wine at the end of the primary fermentation, without being filtered or clarified. The remaining sugars are transformed by yeast that finished the primary fermentation within the bottle. This process is what causes the bubbles in our wine. This macabeo variety comes from the plantation we use to make our quiet wine. It is aged on the lees for 5 months, later disgorgement is done and finally, it is aged with a cork cap. When we taste this wine, it reminds us to those wines aged in vats. It stands out for its freshness and for its fruity flavours in the wineglass.

Pairing

The apical Coll de la Sitja Ancestral 2018 is a very versatile sparkling wine gastronomically: perfect for all kinds of cold starters and tapas such as prawn cocktail, carpaccio, pâtés, salads, sushi … but also very easy to combine with fish and seafood such as tatakis, grilled octopus, oysters … and even all kinds of vegetables, smoked food and cheeses, until you reach desserts. Great power to degrease the palate and very digestive bubble. Its elegance and pleasure on the palate make it very apt for drinks and toasting.

Tasting note:

Pale yellow sparkling wine, with greenish colour tints that already indicate youth, clean and bright, agile topped glasses, with a nice, thin, pleasant bubble. Good aromatic intensity, marked at all times by notes of fresh white fruit such as apple or pear, on an ample floral background of white and aniseed flowers. Very clean and fresh to nose. In palate, we enjoy a sweet entry, a clean mouth with a high fruit load , a joyful and thin bubble that gives us a shy volume, and a marked but pleasant acidity that provides freshness. Dry, long finish and gastronomic bitterness.

Fact sheet

Varieties: Rover 35 years old Macabeu, Llorenç del Penedès, Tarragona. Ecological agriculture not certified.

Year: 2018

Alcohol content: 12% vol.

Harvest: Manual

Bottling: September 2018

Aging: A total of 5 months of aging in the bottle with its bottle cap and in contact with its lees, and a later longer aging with a cork stopper.

Production: Limited production of 887 bottles.It is the most natural L’Apical wine. No type of sulphite, clarification or other external products, or any filtration process, has been added to any of its production process.