Sicus Cartoixa Xarel-lo 2018

Sicus Cartoixa Xarel-lo, biodynamic wine, Cava area of Spain, cool, complex, rich yet taught and delicious white wine made from Cava grape, Xarel-lo. More and more dry wine of real style is coming out of the Penedes made from Xarel-lo and made by artisan producers working naturally. Authentic, hands off production seems to bring out the style, texture and richness of this grape which can tend to lowish acid and neutral flavours. With Sicus, old vines, low yields and fermentation in Amphorae, the grape yields a rich wine with mature stone fruits, saltiness and creamy texture. A fascinating white wine, unique in flavour and extremely stylish.

Sicus is located in Bonastre, in Tarragona and led by a remarkably single-minded young wine craftsman called Eduard Pie Palomar.

His vineyards is all about indigenous varieties, organically grown and exclusively amphorae fermented in vessels of local clay, some of which are actually buried in the vineyards. Only 6 km from the coast, the Mediterranean influence has a huge impact on the style of the wines. The terroir is shallow clay with little organic matter and no fertilisers which restricts yields further and yields fruit with immense concentration. The favours are alive and vivid, the wines are truly beguiling. Sicus is the ultimate expression of the surrounding landscape, the salinity of the sea, minerality of the soil and the fruits and flowers of the forest. The wines are sublimely elegant, cool, soft and pure. The signature variety of the region the Sumoll finds a truly wonderful expression in this place and is one of our red wine finds of the year. Eduard himself, well he is a wild man I am told, dedicated to quality, originality and with a touch of the reckless in what he does, the wines are super cool.