The wine was named as one of the top two DO Penedès white wines after being awarded 9.77 points
The Nadal winery’s Nadal X Vermell 2019 received the award for best Xarel.lo vermell from the Guia de Vins de Catalunya 2020 at the Barcelona World Trade Centre on Monday. The single-varietal wine from Nadal obtained 9.77 points out of 10, seven decimals more than the Nadal X 2018, which is produced entirely from the Xarel.lo blanc variety.
The award recognises the best single-varietals made from the Xarel.lo vermell grape, an indigenous Penedès variety rescued by a handful of wineries after being on the brink of extinction at the end of the last century. Today, in Catalonia, there are fewer than 100 hectares of the variety, and seven of those are at Finca Nadal de la Boadella.
The Nadal X Vermell 2018, is an unctuous and complex dry white. Refined in stainless steel vats, it exudes aromas of stone fruits and subtle spicy notes. Nadal X Vermell first came on to the market in 2015, the fruit of a mini-production from the 2014 vintage of Xarel.lo vermell grown at the El Ton vineyard.
The Guia de Vins de Catalunya is a staunch supporter of using indigenous grape varieties in the pursuit of defining Catalan wine. It created the best single-varietal awards to highlight the work of wineries that conserve and rehabilitate the traditional varieties, which are often forgotten oroverlooked when blended with other grapes.
