2022 Espelt Emporda Pla De Gates Negre

Can a red wine taste like the wind? If you ask Anna Espelt, the answer is a resounding yes. Sourced from the Mas Marés vineyard inside the Cap de Creus National Park, this isn't your standard, jammy Spanish Garnacha; it’s a liquid postcard from the wildest corner of the Mediterranean. Here, the vines cling to crumbling granite soils (locally known as sauló) and are battered relentlessly by the Tramontana—a fierce northern wind that strips away humidity and concentrates flavor.

This is 100% Lledoner Negre (the local name for Grenache), farmed organically by Anna herself in a landscape that feels more like a moonscape than a vineyard. She treats these vines not just as crops, but as part of a complex ecosystem sharing space with wild rosemary and rockroses. The result? A wine that ditches the heavy makeup of new oak for raw, unvarnished transparency. It is nervous, electric, and deeply savory—a red that captures the brutal beauty of the coast without blinking.

Nose: Wild berry compote, violet, and dried lavender over warm slate and Mediterranean garrigue.

Palate: Juicy blackberry and raspberry glide on silken tannins, sparked by citrus-peel brightness and savory spice.

Finish: Dry, lingering close echoes tart berry skin, rosemary smoke, and a clean, mineral snap.

Perfect with rosemary-grilled lamb chops, smoky eggplant drizzled in romesco, or aged Manchego with olives—the wine’s vibrant fruit, herbal spice, and brisk acidity amplify every Mediterranean bite.