Spring Sips (a.k.a. a masterclass in terroir)



Celler de Capçanes is hidden away about 100 miles southwest of Barcelona in the small D.O. Montsant. Originally known for their kosher wine, nowadays their catalog also includes an incredibly diverse (and delicious) selection of bottles at lower price points – and of arguably equal quality – than their more famous cousins from down the road in Priorat.

Winemaker Jürgen Wagner of Celler de Capçanes

Tasting through the 2016 vintage with winemaker Jürgen Wagner was an absolute treat, with the standouts for me being the four “la nit de las garnatxes” wines: the quintessential master class in terroir. Each of these unique garnachas is grown in four distinct soils: sand, clay, limestone and slate, and one can absolutely taste the difference. 


The lightest of the lot, the one grown in sand, possessed a simple elegance and an almost crisp quality, while the clay version was bigger, bolder and wilder with excellent structure. Limestone was the most refined of the quartet, with juicy black fruit and an almost chewy minerality. Slate was the biggest of the group, showing plenty of bright fruit, tar, ink and dark chocolate. They all possessed a brilliant freshness and accessibility that I think makes these wines the perfect pairing for an early spring BBQ. (That’s a thing, right?)

Find ‘em, share ‘em, drink ‘em. Like now. And tell me what you think. Cheers!

 PS: The “la nit de las garnatxes” collection comes wrapped in a series of terroir cartoons. Brilliant!

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