Colet, Vatúa! Rosé, DO Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

Who - Colet, Sergi Colet and family
Where - Pacs del Penedès and Sant Marti Sarroca, Penedès, Spain
What - Sparkling wine. Paralleda, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Garnaxa at dosage.
How - Organic. Vegan. Traditional method. The first fermentation is carried out at controlled temperature in stainless steel. Second fermentation is in bottle and the wines spends 24 months on lees. A little Garnaxa from Sergi's friend, Fredi Torres' project in Priorat is added as dosage. 

The Colet family have farmed their land for generations, first as tenants and then, since 1984 as owners which has allowed them to invest and develop the farm and vineyards and build a winery. Colet just produce sparkling wines and have chosen to be part of the Classic Penedès DO which has stricter rules than for Cava. All wines have to be from the producer's own vineyards which must all lie within Penedès and be farmed organically. There is also a requirement that the wines be made at a winery in the region, aged for longer before release and the year of harvest and date of disgorgement must be indicated on the label.

Vatúa rosé is made from grapes growing at 400m asl on calcareous, slightly sandy soils. 80% of the vines are over 30 years old. Oriental spice, tropical fruit and citrus on the nose. Full and rich in the mouth with a refreshing acidity. A lovely aperitif but also great to drink with food: I love it with Japanese food, rich in umami.