Mario Rovira La Farruca

It may be the smallest D.O., but it certainly isn’t the least interesting. All you need is a glass of wine to see the great quality of the D.O. Alella, an enclave north of Barcelona (in Catalonia), which has caught the attention of many winegrowers. One of those was Mario Rovira who, after working around the world and recovering vineyards in other areas of Spain like Bierzo and Jerez, set his sights here, by the Mediterranean Sea, where he began making wines. This was back in 2017 and now, with the results already in, we can confidently say that their goal has been achieved and even exceeded. Mario Rovira La Farruca is one of the wines that has guaranteed their success, a white wine made with Macabeo, with a fresh and fruity character.

Mario Rovira La Farruca is one of the three wines that Mario makes here. This trio, which are known as “marinade wines”, were harvested just at the beginning of ripeness, always seeking fresher, less alcoholic wines with a strong Mediterranean character. For this reason, the aim is to always gently oversee the vines, looking for the optimum moment to harvest the 3.5 hectares that this winegrower cultivates in the area of Can Ballus, in Tiana, within the Serralada de Marina natural park. In this sense, they have to be very attentive to the grapes, taking into account the dry, hot and sunny summers that are typical of this Mediterranean climate, mitigated only by the cold inland winds and sea breezes.

Another of the differentiating characteristics of Mario Rovira La Farruca are the soils, known as sauló. They are mainly sandy and of granitic origin, almost white in colour, with good drainage and perfect for retaining heat.

Mario Rovira La Farruca macerates with the skins and ferments spontaneously. Finally, this white wine is aged for nine months in manzanilla barrels.

They say in some ways Mario Rovira La Farruca reminds people of these sherry whites, but not fortified. This makes some sense, since Mario Rovira also makes wine in this area of southern Spain. They say that richness comes from mixing things up and variety, don’t they? Why not test the theory with a glass of Mario Rovira La Farruca.