Vilosell 2021

Vilosell is a medium-bodied and complex red wine with smooth and soft tannins, created using Tempranillo, Syrah and Grenache grapes from a variety of soil types — plots of gravel mixed with clay and silt, alongside vineyards with sandstone, conglomerate or calcareous mountain rocks. Thirty hectares of organically certified vineyards at an average altitude of 700 metres where the Tomàs Cusiné winery works the land with their own organic fertilizers and maintain the natural ground cover to conserve and strengthen the area's biodiversity. Grapes are collected by hand and a careful double selection is carried out before they are left to cool and ferment with local yeasts and undergo a brief maceration to extract the fruit's more subtle aromas. The wine is aged for nine months in new and second-use French oak barrels and then left to stand in underground concrete tanks for a further three months. Vilosell displays an aromatic complexity far beyond what we would expect for its price. Orange peel mixes with black pepper, while ripe cherries appear alongside dusty aromas. A juicy wine with just the right amount of tannins to create a tantalizing finish without being too heavy and it also enjoys sufficient acidity to stylize its body. With a pleasant balance between fruitiness and wooden sensations from the barrels, it is a moreish wine where every sip offers delicate hints of coffee, chocolate, cherries and violets. Although it is a splendid choice for keeping at home, it can also be enjoyed relatively young — offering memorable moments and a fabulous contrast when paired with a cheese like Parmesan thanks to its elegant, suggestive style. Undoubtedly, Vilosell is a great small wine and one of the reference red wines in Tomàs Cusiné's winemaking project.