Anna Espelt, Pla de Gates Blanc Emporda 2021

92 points Vinous
"The 2021 Pla de Gates combines 80% Garnacha Blanca and 20% Garnacha Gris from Cap de Creus. The Garnacha Blanca was fermented and skin-soaked, with both varieties spending the winter in concrete egg-shaped vats. This yellow-hued wine presents balsamic aromas that evoke the herbal slopes of the Mediterranean shore, with notes of rosemary, thyme and juniper. Dense and creamy on the palate, it offers both intensity and a saline, seawater-like mouthfeel. Overall, the 2021 embodies the dry conditions of the year."

Vinous Reverie Notes
Pla de Gates is a blend of Lledoner Blanc and Roig (Grenache Blanc and Gris) that Anna Espelt grows in her Mas Marés vineyard. Having gained experience with these varieties further inland where the climate is warmer, Anna has discovered that they really shine closer to the Mediterranean, where nearly constant winds result in smaller clusters, berries, thicker skins, and fresher acidity. Pla de Gates is cooled overnight after harvesting by hand, is partially destemmed, and sees a short maceration before a long gentle pressing to capture all the aromatic and phenolic potential of these two varieties.