Xarel.lo, the Catalan showpiece

Pronounced: Cha-rel-loh

Xarel.lo is one of the 3 traditional grapes that form the basis for the production of Cava. The other two varieties are: Parellada and Macabeo(Viura). Xarel.lo is a white grape variety that is especially found in Catalunya. In the DO Penedes alone, 700 ha have been planted with Xarel.lo. The grape goes by many names such as Cartoixà, Cartuja, Pansa Blanca, Pansal, Premsal Blanca etc… but Xarel.lo sounds better and the -rrrrr- rolls so well. It goes hand in hand with Macabeo due to its high acidity and alcoholpercentaje. Xarel.lo wine can have a strong taste and is more aromatic than the other two cava grape varieties. It gives the rock and roll to the cava!

In the past, Xarel.lo was seen as part of the traditional trio for cava, but in the winemaking of the past 20 years, Xarel.lo grape has played an increasingly important role in the form of a monocécepage wine -queque????---yes, a wine made from one and the same grape, so wine from 100% Xarel.lo. The young Xarel.lo wines are soft, but with cuerpo(body), good acidity, fruity, aromatic and good alcohol content with flavours like citrus, peach, lemon blossom, ginger and almonds. cuerpo(body), een goede zuurgraad, fruitig, aromatisch en een goed alcoholgehalte. Wat qua aroma’s sterk naar voren komt is o.a. citrus, perzik, citroenbloesem, gember en amandelen.

The older Xarel.lo wines often give full and complex taste. Separate techniques are often applied such as; the maceration time(the time of skin contact) refer to how long the grape skins touch the juice while it turns into wines, the time of aging in oak barrels or aging with the “lie” (the yeast cells, the lees). All these techniques produce surprising flavours. Mmmmhhh!

Xarel.lo vermell

Vermell is the Catalan word for red. The Xarel.lo vermell is a mutation of the Xarel.lo grape. It has a thicker skin and is harvested late. What is most striking is the special pink, light red color of the skin. In the past there was a lot of production of this grape, but due to the increasing demand for cava this variety has become extinct. It was more lucrative to grow the grapes for the cava. Fortunately, today there is a growing group of mainly young winemakers who are given great importance to restoring the old grape varieties. As a result, you increasingly come across beautiful wines with the xarel.lo vermell. It is a wine that is easy to drink and looks beautiful with its salmon pink color. A variation on the rose wine!

Curious: Rock with our Xarel.lo package! Send me a message to: 0034 676772360

1. Mas Comtal: Classic Penedès( cava from the Penedès región), xarel.lo and chardonnay, 2018
2. Albet I Noya: el Fanio, organic Xarel.lo, 100% xarel.lo White wine, 2020
3. Gramona: Mart Xarel.lo Vermell, rose wine, 2021

Price: 35,50 euros (excl. transport) https://vinatur.es/