We proceeded to our second winery in Penedes, the Pares Balta winery. Parés Baltà is a family owned winery with a wine-making tradition that extends back to 1790. There are currently three generations of the Cusiné family working at the winery. Joan Cusiné Cusiné led our private tour of the winery.
Parés Baltà has been certified organic since 2004 though they have engaged in organic practices for much longer. The vineyards are spread out over five estates, totaling 176 hectares. They grow a wide diversity of varietals, from indigenous Spanish grapes to non-traditional grapes. They produce Cava, white and red wines.
Above, you can see our excellent host, Joan Cusiné Cusiné. He truly is a passionate wine maker. It was more than evident in everything he said and did. He was a font of information and was very personable as well.
The winery produces two types of wines: the microcuvée and the classical. The microcuvée wines are very low production, produced only in excellent vintages and come from special vineyards. The classical wines are the more traditional wines, produced every year though the goal is to continue to improve them.
Parés Baltà also owns vineyards in two other regions, the Ribera del Duero and Priorat. They do not produce much wine from these other regions but are proud of what they do. They even produce olive oil.
For our private tasting, we received a booklet with extensive information on all the wines we would taste. This is an excellent reference on the wines and was a great aid. It would be nice for all wineries to offer such information for their tastings.
We began our tasting with the 2003 Cava Selectio Premiere Cuvee. This Cava is made of 57% Xarel.lo, 19% Chardonnay, 12% Macabeo, and 12% Parellada. It has a 12.3% alcohol content. It had a good color color and a nice fruity nose. On the palate, it was crisp, fruity and refreshing. The essence of what I enjoy in Cava. Before we tasted this Cava, Joan told us a story of a couple Japanese tourists who put their glasses of Cava to their ears. They listened to the bubbles, like a child listens to the ocean in a shell. Certainly an intriguing thought, a new way of using your sense of hearing with wine. You should give it a try.
Next, we tried the 2003 Cava Cuvee de Carol, made from 100% Chardonnay. It only has a 11.9% alcohol content. This Cava has a bright yellow color and also a fruity nose. It is a rich and creamy Cava, with more of a toasty flavor. This would definitely appeal to fans of Champagne.
We moved on to the 2005 Electio, made from 100% Xarel.lo. This is an unusual wine as there are few wines made from just this varietal. It is usually used in blends, especially in Cavas. It has a 12.85% alcohol content. It has a light yellow color. On the nose it has an almost medicine smell with sour apple notes. On the palate, it has a unique taste with delicious notes of green apple and pear. It is a crisp and smooth wine with a long, satisfying finish. I very much enjoyed this wine as it just seemed a very different white wine. And it certainly had an excellent flavor. Definitely a wine to seek out.
The 2001 Mas Irene is made from 79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc. This wine has a 13.7% alcohol content. This wine had a very dark red color. It is a muscular wine, unlike the wimpy Merlots that too many wineries produce. It has strong spicy notes and a very long finish. The wine has a good structure and certainly is a hedonistic pleasure.
The 2005 Hisenda Miret is made from 100% Garnacha. It does have a higher 14.9% alcohol content. It has a medium red color and a nose of fresh berries. On the palate, there are flavors of cherries and blueberries with an accompaniement of spicy toast. It is a silky smooth wine with a lingering finish. The alcohol content is well balanced with the rest of the wine. This is another hedonistic wine, pure decadence on the palate.
The wines kept coming. Our next taste was the 2003 Absis, a blend of 61% Tempranillo, 19% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Syrah. This wine has a 14.5% alcohol content. It is considered the most masculine wine of Parés Baltà. I would agree with that assessment. The wine is inky purple in color. The wine has a bit of a closed nose though opens up with time, so decanting is recommended. This is a very powerful wine, muscular and beefy. It has strong plum and blackberry flavors with toasted spices. It has a very long finish. This wine should be accompanied by a thick steak. An excellent powerhouse of a wine.
We then moved on to the 2005 Gratavinum GV5, a blend of 75% Carinena, 15% Garnacha Negra, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is from the Priorat D.O. It has a 14.9% alcohol content. This wine has a very dark red color. It has delicious plum and sweet berry flavors. It has some mild spice notes as well though the fruit dominates. But it is more than a fruit bomb. It has good structure and balance with a long, satisfying finish. There is complexity to this wine that makes it very interesting. I recommend this wine.
Our final wine was the 2005 Dominio Romano which is 100% Tempranillo. This wine is from the Ribera del Duero D.O. It actually is not even for sale yet. The vines are about 40 years old and it spends 12 months in oak. It is a dark red in color and has dark berries on the nose. You get more spice on the palate though the dark berry flavors are definitely there. It has a nice silky feel and a long finish. A nice expression of Tempranillo.
We were not done though. Joan brought out some of their Gratavinum Olive Oil for us to try. This is an extra virgin olive oil and he brought out some fresh bread for dipping. This was a very clean, light and delicious olive oil. It had nice flavor and I had several pieces of bread with the oil.
This was an excellent winery tour, with a very passionate winemaker, and some delicious wines. Seek out Parés Baltà. I am sure you will find some wines that you will enjoy.
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