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Product Description:

Wine:
"Aromas of dark-berry fruits with hints which are reminiscent of the aromatic plants and herbs of the Massif del Garraf. The wine shows complexity, is concentrated, and denotes its aging in fine wooden barrels and shows the minerality of this unique terroir. It is fresh and has a long finish on the palette." - Winery

About the Producer:
"The Garaff Masiff is a mountain range located south of Barcelona along the Mediterranean coast between the towns Castelldefels and Sitges. Rocky and calcareous, the region is sparsely wooded, carpeted in wild herbs and centered around the Parc Natural Garraf. In this stony, rugged landscape, Carlos Esteva took a dilapidated family estate and turned it into one of the most dynamic properties in Penedes. Starting in 1979, Carlos began to restore his grandfather’s house and replant many of the vineyards and orchards. Now totaling 50ha of vineyards, 2ha of olive trees and 1 ha of almond trees the farm has been organic since 2008 and has recently introduced biodynamic practices in some vineyards. The rugged, inhospitable landscape presents many varying microclimates which Carlos has taken advantage of by planting over 28 grapes varieties. The largest vineyard is only 2ha in size and while most of the vines were planted over the last thirty years there is one old vineyard of Xarel.lo that dates to 1948.

The soils around Can Rafols dels Caus are comprised of decomposed dolomitic limestone with inclusions of stones and fossils. The soil is shallow, free draining and poor in nutrients so even young vines are forced to root deep into the limestone bedrock of the region. To prevent erosion, Carlos only plows in the winter and encourages cover crops– mainly local varieties of nitrogen-fixing flora. The combination of its proximity to the Mediterranean and elevation, Can Rafols enjoys plenty of warmth and sunshine as well as afternoon winds that moderate the heat and humidity.

Harvested by hand, the fruit is quickly transported to a modern, energy-efficient cellar tunneled deep into the Dolomitic bedrock. Each parcel and grape variety is fermented separately with the whites seeing a short maceration before pressing and the reds receiving a cold maceration before fermentation. All fermentations are with indigenous yeasts. A mixture of stainless steel, French oak and chestnut are used during the elevage." - Importer