D'Anguera/Cosecha - Maiols Somm, Montsant, Spain (2021)

TASTING NOTES

Lifted, ethereal, medium-bodied, complex and refreshing. Strawberry fruit, tomato leaf, leather, cherry, an herbal note and subtle tannins. Both tangy and a little crunchy at the same time. On the palate, bitter orange rind, prune and raisin notes, honey and almonds. Lots of acidity and tension.

A collaboration between Ontario’s Cosecha Imports & producer Celler Joan D'Anguera Maiols is an organically grown, low-intervention Grenache in white clay and sandy soils in Darmós, Spain in the southern region of the Montsant D.O. 

The D’Anguera family has been on the same property with the same vineyard since 1820. Needless to say, they are experts of their craft. With seven generations of winemaking in the family, the father of current owners Joan and Josep was a maverick of winemaking and the first to plant the Syrah grape in the area.

Following their father’s untimely death in the late 90’s, Joan and Josep made a significant shift with the help of their mother Merce. Moving away from the Monsant style commercialized with heavy extraction and alcohol they were inspired to make more delicate, feminine, floral  wines that still have tremendous weight and power. They looked at their terroir and saw that they had more similarities to the Côtes du Rhône area in France.

After a visit to Château Rayas and the support of Cuvée 3000 owner Joan Valencia (one of the most influential wine distributors in Spain) they set out in earnest.

Joan and Josep began pulling the Syrah vines out and grafting Grenache, transforming and personalizing their winemaking style and methods. Using biodynamic farming practices, crushing by foot and only partially de-stemming vines, Joan D’Anguerra wines were quickly certified by the Demeter Biodynamic® Processing Standard.