The daughter of a Guanche chieftain tells us about a wine as powerful as a stone in the road

To talk about this winery, Tomàs Cusiné, whom I love and admire so much, one of the emblems of the Costers del Segre DO (Tomàs Cusiné was its president), I spoke with Dacil Estapá. Officially, the sales director. Unofficially, one of the heart and soul of the place. I really like her name, and I can't resist sharing it with you. It's a Guanche name, from the lost language of this culture, about which we know so little, from the Canary Islands. Her mother was from Santa Cruz. Dacil is a Guanche princess, meaning she was the daughter of a mencey, a king. The Berbers invaded the island and, as has always happened, they devastated everything. This mysterious civilization is related, genetically and culturally, to the Berbers.

And it's the descendant of the Guanches (I can't help it, I love these stories) who tells me about the 2021 Geol. And if we go to this vintage, we go to the moment right after the pandemic (which was a year of mildew). "Where we are, there's always drought," she says. Because they're in Les Garrigues. The winery is located in Vilosell, the last town in the province of Lleida. What comes after are the Prades mountains, and then you jump into the Conca de Barberà. It's the border between Lleida, Tarragona, and the Conca. "We have 33 hectares, and the most important thing is the altitude. The Geol vineyards are, exactly, at 712 meters. They are 33 very small plots, inside a forest. If you think of Lleida, you think of fog and flat land, right? But we're in a high-altitude forest, with lots of pine trees, in the middle of this forest." The Costers del Segre DO is many different things, because Lleida is a wine, gastronomic, and geological treasure.

A small production

Geol, a little bump in the road, is an intense wine, with those balsamic, chocolate, and licorice notes we love. It's aged in first- and second-year French oak barrels. This vintage is already in large 600ml casks. They're gradually moving away from the 225ml casks because they want the oak to be integrated, not overpowering. It's not a large production, of course. They make 3,000 bottles organically.

Geol, a wine for cannelloni or Christmas roast, is made with Carignan, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a powerful, classic, robust wine. "Of all the wines in the winery, it's the most assertive." Tomás Cusiné has been a pioneer in many things: innovation, studying the land, understanding what happens in the vineyard. In the Conca de Catalunya region, where he also has a winery, he's helped put Trepat on the map, and I'd say he understands it like no one else. Like all geniuses, he has surrounded himself with good people. Gemma Plaza and Joel Díaz are the winery's winemakers, very good and young. He listens to them and lets them do their job. I would like to This series of wines that we have made at the ARA I hope it has sparked some interest in this world we love. If even one young person who has read this has decided to study oenology, sommellerie, or agriculture, we will consider ourselves well rewarded. I couldn't be happier to recommend this gem for festive gatherings, where wine is a must. Tomàs Cusiné is one of the leading figures in the wine world of our small country.