Celler Oliveda – Cabernet Sauvignon & Cariñena D.O. Empordà
A wine region whose wines, and to great extent its culture, are shaped by the wind. Empordà is the last wine region of north-eastern Catalonia before the Pyrenees meet France and the Mediterranean.
The DO has two geographically separate parts. Baix Empordà lies further south around the coastal plain. Alt Empordà, where this wine comes from, begins around Figueres and runs north to the French border, spreading between the Empordà plain, the Albera and Rodes mountains and the Mediterranean at Cap de Creus.
Celler Oliveda is in Capmany, north of Figueres and close to the Albera, inside this northern landscape. Here the great protagonist is the wind. The Tramuntana comes down from the north with gusts that can exceed 120 km/h, drying the vines and reducing disease pressure. Summers are hot, but Mediterranean breezes moderate them. It is an unusual climatic combination: sun and warmth from the Mediterranean, mountains immediately to the north, and a wind sufficiently persistent to become part of the identity of the place. The wine could hardly have been called anything else: Terra de Vents; land of winds.
Empordà soil is varied. The plain is principally alluvial; towards the mountain margins the geology becomes more mixed, with sandy and granitic soils, slate and occasional limestone. The common denominator is poor, predominantly sandy soil with little organic matter, but with good drainage. The vines need to do a lot of work to survive.
The blend that makes Terra de Vents brings together two very different ‘personalities.’ Cabernet Sauvignon brings the serious darker fruit and structure, and gives the wine depth and elegances. But don’t think too much austere Bordeaux, this ripe fruit, with friendlier tannins. Cariñena (Carinyena), the authentically Mediterranean variety, brings fresh acidity and the slightly rustic Mediterranean backbone. The aging effect is subtle, probably in older oak barrels.
In the glass, the wine is deep cherry-red with an intense purple cast, bright and deeply coloured, still youthful at the centre.
The nose opens immediately on fruit: wild red and black berries, black cherry, blackberry and ripe plum, ripe but without tipping into jamminess. Behind the fruit come dried herbs, a faint balsamic note and something darker and earthier. The barrel sits comfortably in the background, adding toast, subtle smoke, black pepper and gentle sweet spice rather than covering the fruit. On the palate, the interesting part is the tension between Mediterranean ripeness and freshness. It is lively, balanced and persistent, with enough acidity to prevent the ripe fruit becoming broad or sweet. Here the blend makes sense: the Carinyena gives the wine its movement, freshness and distinctive character, while Cabernet Sauvignon gives it breadth and structure.
The tannins are present but not aggressive. Dark fruit carries through the mid-palate, followed by herbs, black pepper, toast and a slightly dry, stony sensation towards the finish. The oak effect remains in the background adding a hint smoke and spice without becoming the principal flavour.
Serve at 15–16°C with: pollastre de pagès amb llagosta (Catalan chicken with lobster), vedella amb salsafins (slow-cooked Girona veal with salsify), xai a la brasa (charcoal-grilled lamb), or botifarra amb mongetes (Catalan sausage with white beans); also roast lamb, grilled pork or mushroom dishes.
88–80 Bruja points. EUR 12 from https://www.grauonline.es/ and https://www.vivino.com/
(Feature: Wine, Celler Oliveda – Cabernet Sauvignon & Cariñena D.O. Empordà, Terra de Vents Crianza 2022)
feature, wine column, la bruja, catalonia, celler oliveda – cabernet sauvignon, cariñena, D.O. empordà, terra de vents, crianza, 2022