Catalunya wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

VCPRD

The Catalunya appellation covers the entire wine-growing territory of Catalonia, stretching from the Ebro delta area to the foothills of the Pyrenees, through the plains of Lleida, the districts of Girona, central Catalonia, the Camp de Tarragona and the Barcelona region. It thus brings together vineyards located across all four Catalan provinces, unlike the more localized appellations that coexist within the same territory. The soils, formed from Miocene sedimentary deposits, are calcareous, low in organic matter, with a texture dominated by silt and clay; quaternary alluvial deposits are found near the river basins. The climate is Mediterranean, with more than 2500 hours of sunshine a year, dry, mild winters along the coast tempered by sea breezes, and a more continental climate inland, with cold winters and hot summers. A wide range of white and red grape varieties, both native and international, is authorized, including xarel·lo, macabeu, parellada, grenache, carignan, tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah.

The wines of this appellation

The Catalunya appellation produces white, rosé and red wines, along with semi-sparkling wines known locally as vins perlants, made through a light natural secondary fermentation that gives a gentle prickle on the palate. White wines range from pale, greenish yellow in young wines to intense gold in oak-aged ones; the nose is open, fruity and floral, with vanilla and toasted notes after time in wood, while the palate, light and fresh in youth, becomes fuller and more unctuous with barrel ageing. Rosés, from vivid red to onion-skin hues, are fresh, fruity and balanced. Reds show a colour ranging from deep cherry with violet hues in young wines to ruby with tawny hues in more evolved ones; their clean, fruity aromas in youth take on vanilla, toasted and spiced notes with barrel ageing, yielding wines that are round, smooth and persistent. Whites and rosés pair well with seafood, salads and grilled fish; oak-aged reds go with red meats, game and mature cheeses.