Expert’s Choice: Empordà

The 160km drive from Barcelona to the French border via Girona takes little more than 90 minutes. Driving up the efficient and clinical motorway, you’d never know you were passing through one of the most rugged, individual and below-the-radar wine regions in Spain: Empordà.

Empordà’s history, kinship, language and terroir are shared with Roussillon in southern France as much as they are with Spain. The cold Tramontana wind blows from France south across the border into Empordà – so strongly at times that anyone behaving strangely is said to be ‘tocat per la Tramontana’ (‘touched by the Tramontana’).

Scroll down to see notes and scores for 18 exciting wines from Empordà

The Catalan region is roughly split in two: the higher-altitude Alt Empordà reaching up towards the Pyrenees; and Baix Empordà, extending south and towards the bright, blue Mediterranean sea.

Empordà was first planted by travelling Phoenicians in ancient times. After the devastating impact of the phylloxera bug in the late 19th century, many vineyards were replanted with different crops; a huge area is now dedicated to the production of cork trees. The lonely outlines of abandoned vineyards and terraced walls are a reminder of what was lost. Now, just 49 wineries manage 1,827ha of vineyards in the region.

Awaiting discovery

One of the many charms of Empordà is the sheer variety of its terroirs and wines. The soils are loosely based on limestone, sand and granite in the north and richer, clay-based subsoils to the south. The region’s rolling hills and bluffs add further complexity to the soil map.

Many vineyards have the same grape varieties planted on different soils, with individual vineyards or specific rows of vines often bottled separately, making for fascinating comparisons. Yet there’s a collective robustness to the best wines that speaks of the region as a whole.

This is primarily red-wine country (a little over 60%, according to the DO’s regional body), led by various shades of Garnacha and Cariñena (‘Lladoner‘ and ‘Samsó‘ are their local monikers). Clonal variation also contributes to the characterful nature of these wines.

Diversity and new dawns

There is a kaleidoscopic array of combinations of grape variety, clone and soil type. But perhaps the greatest Empordà wines are white, particularly those made from the increasingly popular Cariñena Blanca, a variety only recently approved (in March 2020) for use in the DO.

With its incredibly persistent acidity, bright flavour and ability to ripen evenly despite increasing temperatures, it will be an important variety of the future.

Historically, these wines have rarely been distributed beyond the gastronomic centres of Girona and Barcelona, but that is starting to change. The younger generation of winemakers are looking further afield, beyond the safety net of Costa Brava’s plethora of Michelin-starred restaurants.

Stylistically, the wines are evolving, too, becoming fresher, brighter and more accessible. Empordà’s unique range of fascinating wines are, for the most part, still undervalued and underrepresented outside the region. But for how long?

See notes and scores for 18 exciting wines from Empordà to seek out

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