Carles Andreu Trepat

The Trepat variety has been overlooked for many years, relegated basically and mainly to the production of rosé Cavas, and this is a real shame because, despite its lack of colour intensity, like the Nebbiolo and the Pinot Noir, it's capable of producing some really lovely, delicate and elegant wines. Red wines, that is. Carles Andreu was a pioneer in its reinstatement, among the first to treat it with special care and make every effort to understand it better in order to obtain wines which will gradually end up by restoring to it the respect deserved.

The Carles Andreu Trepat is one of the best. It's not a muscular or powerful wine, nor does it pretend to be. Its objective is to reflect the characteristics of the land of provenance, and provide pleasure to all who drink it. It's made using grapes from vineyards called Les Alzinetes, Les Parades and La Butxaca, which the winery owns and works with pride and dedication in the Conca de Barberá denomination; and aged for six months in second-year French oak barrels.

It's a wine holding few secrets and that's one of its major appeals, as it's an honest wine with moderate alcohol content, pleasant, lively, elegant and very drinkable. Its colour will surprise you, or perhaps not, knowing that this is a grape of pale complexion, but it does appear a fairly intense shade. The aromas on the nose and flavours on the palate are very varietal, with raspberries, strawberries and red currants, notes of fresh pepper and vegetal hints of cypress and laurel, with a very refreshing tangy undertone. No sooner is the bottle uncorked and it emerges very open and generous, yet always in a refined way, and on the palate it's more edgy, although smooth and silky. The peppery notes intensify on the tongue but right the way through it's the same fruit-driven character discerned on the nose that dominates, though with a sweeter, mature touch, of redcurrant jam. Clean and direct, it reveals work honestly executed and the result is excellent; a wine worth getting to know.