Metamorphika’s Orange Wines.
Tasting of Metamorphika Orange Wines made by Costador at Conca de Barberà, Tuesday February 1st at 19h.
Orange Wines
In Catalan, to refer to an orange wine we must speak of a 'brisat' wine or a wine with maceration of skins. Brisats are white wines made as if they were red, that is, vinified in contact with the skins of the same grape. Instead of squeezing the grapes and separating the seeds and skins, the white grape must is left to ferment with these solid parts.
With this practice, the most will ferment and at the same time there will be a maceration with its skins, obtaining all the substances of these, such as aromas, tannins and color. This process gives a more intense and intense color to the white wine, giving it an amber or orange hue. That is why they are known internationally as orange wines.
This maceration can last from several hours to even days. Depending on the style of wine and the qualities that its maker wants to achieve.
One of the theories of the origin of the term orange wine is that it was created in 2004 on purpose by David Harvey, a wine merchant in the United Kingdom. It has since been considered appropriate to use the term.
This style of winemaking that is gaining followers day after day is, however, a production technique that comes from a thousand-year-old tradition. Moreover, there is evidence of this practice dating back some 6,000 years in Georgia. Here in Catalonia we have historical references of the first brisat wines in the Terra Alta.
Anyway, these wines are often described as rustic, austere, with marked oxidation and undeniable astringency. All of them have differentiating characteristics that make them at least original and very gastronomic wines.
Celler Costador – Metamorphika Muscat Orange – DO Catalunya, Barberà de la Conca
Metamorphika Muscat is 100% Muscat from old bush vines. Brisat is the old Catalan word for an orange wine. Fermented and macerated on skins in amphorae (clay vats) for six weeks before being transferred to old French oak barrels of fourth and fifth use for twelve months.
The bottle is also made of pottery
El Muscat
Muscat wine or simply muscat is a wine extracted from grapes known as Vitis Apiana in antiquity: it is a white vine variety, although there is also a rarer red variety.
It is used as a table grape or raisin and to make mostly sweet and mistel wines.
The grapes are spherical, amber in color and medium and compact, large, thick-skinned, with a tendency to wilt quickly. It needs an important contribution of heat for its maturation, for that reason its connection with the sun. The vicinity of the sea provides the necessary degree of humidity to obtain optimal vegetation and being considered a variety of medium vigor is easily adaptable to stony soils.
It has outstanding floral aromas of apricot grapes, grapefruit and exotic fruits.
Research on the identification of modern grape varieties and their correlation with ancient varieties suggests that muscat may be one of the oldest varieties in the Mediterranean. In the Mediterranean area of the Iberian Peninsula, the cultivation of grapes to produce wine was promoted by the Phoenician and Greek colonization, probably from the native wild varieties. The current Moscatel d'Alexandria or Roman muscatel, would be the closest variety to the Vitis Apiana, so called in Roman times because its sweetness attracted bees (apiae in Latin). It is currently considered an ancient vine, that is, a variety not genetically modified, as its cultivation since ancient times as a fruit for human consumption (grapes and raisins) has been maintained during late antiquity, the Muslim era, medieval and modern times.
Celler Costador – Metamorphika Xarel·lo Orange – DO Catalunya, Barberà de la Conca
The Metamorphika Xarel·lo has a golden yellow color with amber reflections, slightly cloudy and a fine, glyceric tear. Even more intriguing nose, different from everything smelled to date. Peaches and ripe yellow fruit, notes of black licorice and notes of complex elaboration. In the mouth it is different, unusual and unthinkable.
Amazing and captivating. Unctuous and glyceric, with hints of green citrus, herbs and fresh liqueur, balsamic.
From 70 year old vines planted to 2 hectares of stony calcareous clay soils. The Xarel-lo is from a certified organic vineyard. The grapes are hand-harvested in mid-September. Maceration lasts between 8-14 weeks, followed by spontaneous fermentation with mostly whole-clusters and indigenous yeasts that lasts 4-6 weeks in clay tinaja (clay) amphora. The wine spends around three months on the lees with weekly battonage. Aging takes place in the same amphora for four months. Not filtered or fined.
El Xarel·lo
The xarel·lo is a white vine variety, native to the Penedès, the result of a cross between the Andalusian hebén variety and the French Faux Brustiano variety. Her DNA profile suggests that xarel·lo may be related to the Macabeu, sharing both parents. According to the philologist Fava i Agut, the name xarel·lo comes from the Italian dialectal variant sciarello, meaning claret (light), a term used to refer to red wines with little color. It is, together with macabeu and parellada, one of the three traditional varieties used to make cava.
It is one of the main varieties for the DO Alella, DO Binissalem, DO Costers del Segre, DO Penedès and DO Tarragona, but is grown almost throughout Catalonia and Mallorca. According to the RVC Wine Register of Catalonia (12/09/2017), the cultivated area in Catalonia is 9,843 ha, most in the Penedès (7,500 ha).
Celler Costador – Metamorphika Viognier Orange – DO Catalunya, Barberà de la Conca
Metamorphika Viognier is a wine that is macerated for 1 week and fermented in clay amphorae, then aged in amphorae and French oak barrels (225/300 liter barrels of various uses) for 5 months.
Sweet, but at the same time with a noticeable sour taste of the wine resembles fruity jam, revealing rich tones of orange, pear and melon. Harmonious, full aftertaste for a long time calms down with notes of spices.
Wine is served to soft aromatic cheeses, desserts, fruit desserts and sweets.
Viognier
Viognier is a white grape from the Rhône Valley, grown especially in Condrieu, where a very soft and fragrant wine is obtained, and which is also present in many areas of southern France.
It was brought there by Phocian immigrants in the 1st century AD.
Like Chardonnay, Viognier has the potential to produce full-bodied and soft wines. Unlike chardonnay, the viognier varietal has more natural aromas, including notes of peach, pear, violets and minerals.
Costador
Costadors is a project that has long gained a well-deserved reputation as a ‘top’ wine in the many export markets where it is present, and which is slowly opening a hole in local menus and shelves.
From the oldest wine cooperative building in Spain, in Barberà de la Conca, Joan Franquet vinifies the three product lines that make up Costador, practicing biodynamic agriculture and natural vinification.
We are a winery that works unique vineyards with only organic and biodynamic agriculture.
The vineyards are old, most of them between 60 and 110 years old with different "terroirs" (clay and limestone). They are located at altitudes between 400 and 800 meters.
With a strong thermal contrast, our grapes can mature for a long time and retain their freshness and acidity.
We control the temperature of the whole process, from the moment we harvest the grapes, during fermentation and then aging.
We ferment with wild and native yeasts in amphorae or in stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.
The final wine is a real grape juice, authentic and with natural aromas.