Vine Path Blog 5/21: New Releases from Partida Creus

Antonella Gerosa and Massimo Marchiori

Here at Bacco’s, we love when this happens. Everyone once in a while, often only one or two times a year, we get access to a tiny allotment of wines from one of Spain’s most interesting, innovative, and exciting wineries, Partida Creus. Their wines defy expectations and often boggle the mind. This is for good reason, since the wines of Partida Creus are the product of a very unique approach to winemaking. Partida Creus was established in Catalunya Massis de Bonastre, or Baix Penedes, close to the ancient town of Tarragona in north eastern Spain with the peculiar idea in mind to take advantage of the numerous old-vine plots of ancient, often abandoned vineyards in Catalonia as a way of preserving the diversity of the regions grape varieties. It’s unlikely that any other winery in Spain makes as broad a line of wines from as many unique varietals. In many cases, Partida Creus is the only winery working with these grapes. The winery’s founders, Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa, former architects from Italy, are staunchly committed natural winemakers, choosing only to work with organically farmed vineyards and eschewing any additions in the winemaking process. While often polarizing, the wines of Partida Creus are undoubtedly exciting and novel, offering up experiences you really won’t be able to find anywhere else.

Partida Creus VN Blanco

Otherwise known as ‘Vinel-lo’, this is the flagship field blend white wine of the winery. This wine is produced every vintage and is made from a wild and massive array of antique Catalonian varietals. In the mix we’ve got Xarel-lo (the queen grape of Penedes), Vinyater, Moscatel, Garnacha Blanca, Parellada, and Macabeau. I don’t care how advanced of a Sommelier you are, I’m sure you still have to look some of these grapes up! Always made in a delicate, mineral driven style, this wine constantly delights me. The light floral touch from the Macabeau is the best seasoning.

Partida Creus BN Blanco

While this wine is called a white, it’s actually made from a fascinating red varietal called Cartoixa Vermell, otherwise known as Xarel-lo Rosado. This ancient mutation of Xarel-lo develops a light pink hue to the grape skins as it matures. It’s impossible to make a ‘real’ red wine from this grape as there just isn’t enough pigment and phenolics in the grape skins to produce the visual and textural qualities we expect from a red wine. What it can do is quite original though. This wine is packed with stone fruit, crushed apples, under ripe raspberry, and has a cool, pungent and peppery floral quality to it. There is a touch of Macabeau blended in, which contributes a light nuttiness to the wine along with some cool mineral tones.

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Partida Creus UL Tinto

This is an exciting wine to get. This is a special release of Catalonian Tempranillo (AKA Ull de Llebre), the kind of thing you really never get to see and the kind of things we’ve never gotten to have here in the store before. Our entire allocation of this wine is dedicated to the club. If you are used to Rioja, this wine will surprise you. In true PC style, this Tempranillo is lively, vibrant, and fresh, designed to be stylistically juxtaposed against the massive, oak-driven wines of La Rioja. It’s the kind of red that takes nicely to a chill and will assuredly be a helpful companion during grilling season.

Xarel-lo Rosado grapes on the vine

Xarel-lo Rosado grapes on the vine