Oriol Artigas 'La Rumbera' Alella Xarel-lo 2022

Profile & Story

Oriol Artigas grew up in Vilassar de Dalt in the Alella appellation and originally trained in chemistry before a transformative harvest redirected him toward enology; he went on to work across a number of Catalan wineries and to teach enology before turning to revive old coastal vineyards near Barcelona. His work is guided by a commitment to transparent, non-interventionist wines that reflect the nearby Mediterranean, carrying the essence of garrigue and sea salt. La Rumbera is a textured, saline white made from old-vine Pansa Blanca - the local clone of Xarel·lo - together with Garnatxa Blanca, grown on granitic sand just north of Barcelona. Two separate maceration approaches are blended together: part crushed and foot-trodden grapes macerated for a few days, and part whole berries given an extended soak, layering the wine's aromatics and structure. It is fermented and aged in stainless steel and fiberglass with no added sulfites.

Pairing Recommendation

Recommended with seafood, tapas, and creamy cheese.