Perelada 1957 Blanco

Wine: Perelada 1957 Blanco
Winery: Castillo Perelada (Perelada, Girona)
Appellation / Zone: Unclassified (Girona area)
Varietals: Primarily Macabeu, complemented by local varieties (Garnatxa Blanca, Moscatel, Picapoll, Cariñena Blanca).
ABV: — (Not specified)

Winemaking

Reliable data is scarce. According to sources close to the winery, it appears to have been aged in various types of barrels and old American oak vats of different capacities (225 and 500 liters) for an average period of 24–36 months. Bottled directly from the barrel.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Very intense yellow color, golden and clean, with a profound sense of density and enormous tears. Effulgent coppery and amber reflections. (Note: Opening this bottle was a feat; the cork had disintegrated into a sandy mass, yet the wine remained miraculously sealed by a robust, "vandal-proof" capsule).

 

Nose: Aromas of a vegetal character: herbal infusions, chamomile stems, nettle, ivy, pennyroyal, and rock tea. A white wine with a vast array of unusual registers that continuously gain intensity and presence with aeration. Ripe fruit sits over a background of wine-soaked oak and "solera" nuances, bringing it close to a traditional rancio: rosemary honey, dried apricots, acacia, and Spanish broom. Complex and unique, recalling in some aspects the old white Monopoles from CVNE of the 1940s. It polarized the group, leaving no one indifferent.

 

Palate: The palate offers a completely different experience. Very thick, glyceric, buttery, and mature, with a refined expression dominated by creamy oak and high-quality bitter notes. Reduced and confit-like, it maintains sufficient life thanks to a solid citric acidity. Immense personality.

 

Commentary

The 1957 Perelada Blanco is a fascinating and defiant survivor from an era before formal denominations in the region. It is a wine of extremes that challenges the taster with its medicinal and oxidative profile, typical of old-school Mediterranean whites. While its "sandy" cork hinted at disaster, the liquid inside revealed a buttery structure and a vibrant acidic nerve that justified the effort of the opening. A singular, high-character bottle for those who seek the unconventional.

 

Personal Score: 93
Tasting Group Average: 90