Tocat de l’Ala Blanc 2015

Style: White wine

Region: Emporda

Location: Tarragona, Spain

About 45 minutes NE of Batea and 2 to 3 hours SW of Barcelona, Coca i Fitó is located in El Masroig in Tarragona province. Founded by 2 brothers, Toni and Miquel Coca i Fitó in 2006, they started in the D.O Montsant wine appellation; began to make white wine in the D.O Terra Alta in 2010; and, in 2011, joined forces with some small grape growers in D.O Empordà. More recently, they have moved into D.O. Ribeira Sacra and D.O. Priorat. They are nothing if not progressive and, if we forgot to say, they make great wine!!

We spent several hours with Miquel, touring some of Coca i Fitó's local vineyards under a bright, sunny sky, with fluffy clouds and temperatures already edging into the high 20s C in mid June. The vineyards are scattered among variou villages lying in the Falsett Valley, surrounded by Mediterranean undergrowth. We followed this with a viewing of the winery, before moving down into the cellars to a wonderful tasting room surrounded by row after row full of maturing wine. The bottles kept coming and we were spoilt for choice, so rich and varied were the offerings. The wines combine the minerality of the terroir with the essence of varieties such as Grenacha, Carignan and Syrah. Finally, we migrated to a restaurant in a local town with Miquel bringing along at least a dozen bottles which He insisted we try with what turned out to be a most delightful, late lunch.

The Tocat de l'Ala Blanc is refreshing with good citric and tropical fruit notes, white fruit and flowers. Full bodied and expressive, it is evocative of the landscape from which it springs.

Gaia Penin: 91 points

Blend: 60% Garnacha Blanca; 40% Macabeo

Alcohol: 13.5%

Ageing: 4 months in Surlies in stainless stell tanks

Production: 15,000 bottles

Food: Salmon, Tuna, Shellfish, Poultry