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Just
to the north of Barcelona, the tiny Denominació d'Origen Alella (around
400 hectares of vineyards in all) has long been recognised as one of the
great areas of Spain for white wines. Parxet and Marqués de Alella,
two of the most established names in the D.O. Alella, joined forces in the
early eighties, combining their land in the two separate Alella microclimates.
Parxet, based in Tiana on the Mediterranean coast, has produced cava since
1920. The current Marquis of Alella's family had been making wines since
the 19th century in the inland portion of the D.O.Whilst the Marqués
de Alella is renowned for its still wines, Parxet is a cava specialist,
and as such the two companies were complementary. 
As
befits a cava producer in the Denominació d'Origen Alella, Parxet
add the local Pansa Blanca to the traditional cava varieties, producing
a wide range of cavas from their annual anniversay specials (produced every
year since their 75th anniversay in 1995) through to a sweet rosé
dessert cava. Whilst the base wines for the cava are made at the new cellar
at Santa Maria de Martorelles (see below), the traditional ageing period
in the bottle (at least nine months according to Cava regulations, but up
to three years for the best reservas) still takes place in the underground
cellars at the modernist Mas Parxet building in Tiana - for some wines still
using the tunnels carved out under the Mas itself (see right). Parxet also
own a new cellar in the Ribera del Duero region, where they produce a red
criança under the name Tionio.
The
Alella denomination is split by the pre-litoral ridge that characterises
the Maresme, the county to the north of Barcelona. Whilst both areas
are threatened by the sprawling housing estates of Barcelona's commuter-belt,
they share very different microclimates: The east facing slopes have a much
more mediterranean climate, where the sea breeze helps to compensate for
the lower altitude of the vineyards and the generally hotter climate. Just
five miles further inland at Santa Maria de Martorelles, however, the climate
is much more continental, producing more acidic wines.
A
further key ingredient behind the quality of the wines is found in the soil,
known locally as Sauló (see left). In an area famed for occasional
intense rain (particularly in early autumn), and the flash floods that accompany
the storms on the coastal side of the ridge, this sandy soil with a high
Silica content has excellent drainage but also the ability to maintain high
levels of humidity during drought. The modern Marqués de Alella cellar
is built in the centre of their vineyards at Santa Maria de Martorelles,
surrounded by Chardonnay and Pansa Blanca vineyards. Pansa Blanca
is a close relative of the Xarel·lo variety prevalent throughout
the Penedès, and is the base of the Marqués de Alella "Clásico"
wine.
The
top of the Alella range of wines is the Marqués de Alella Allier,
a 100% Chardonnay wine fermented and aged in fine-grained French Allier
oak barrels. On my visit in July, they had just recieved delivery of the
new barrels that lend their name to this wine, ready for the 2000 vintage.
For the 1999 vintage, Marqués de Alella have repackaged their still
wines in Bordeaux-style bottles, at the same time simplifying the range
which in the past also included a "Seco" and a young Chardonnay
wine, concentrating their efforts on the "Clásico" 100%
Pansa Blanca wine - the traditional wine of the region, and the Marqués
de Alella Allier barrel fermented Chardonnay. | ||
| Marqués de Alella Allier 2004 D.O. Alella - Click here for cellar profile 100% Chardonnay EUR13.50 | |
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| Parxet Brut Nature Brut Nature 40% Pansa Blanca, 30% Macabeu, 30% Parellada EUR11.25 | |
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