The white hackberry of Vinyes dels Aspres: an Empordà that cannot be missed

Since every region fights its own battle, in Penedès we talk about Xarel·lo, but in Alella we talk about white raisin, and we drink the same variety. Garnacha, our beloved Garnacha, in Empordà is called white hackberry. In fact, in Empordà I've only heard them talk about Garnacha when referring to sweet wine.

Today, then, we have white hackberry from the Vinyes dels Aspres winery in our glass, from the 23 vintage. A drought, then, but not the worst, which was the 22nd. The 23rd recovered, but only slightly. The vineyard, called Les Corts, was planted in 1973 by the father of David Molas, the soul of the winery, with whom he now speaks. "My father recovered the family vineyards, which had been abandoned, and replanted them with the same grafts he had found." This white, so elegant, so unctuous, so gastronomic, so Empordà (a very devoted fan of this wine in the souk), ferments in French oak barrels, half in small ones and the other half in a 2,000-liter wooden vat. Look at the phrase, which tells a lot about where we are, with wine, and where we were: "Before, they were smaller, newer butts with more aging time. And now they're bigger, less new, and with less aging time." Today, we don't want "fustotes." We seek balance between the wood and the fruit. "Despite the discretion of the white hackberry fruit, which is very spartan in aromas, it's not like Xarel lo or Chardonnay." The winery only has two varieties planted: hackberry and Sauvignon Blanc. And of course, the Sauvignon is overwhelmingly expressive on the nose. "Hackberry is the solemn version. I sell more of the other."

This wine is historic. They've been making it for 25 years. The winery's first year saw the release of the Aspres white.

I ask him if he has any bottles left from this first vintage, and he says yes. My eyes sparkle. "We recently did a vertical tasting," he tells me. "We've seen that the best bottles are those between five and ten years old." They tasted, he says—and he gives me a little taste—the 13th, the 17th, and the 19th. Apparently, the 13th was incredible. In fact, I remember, in 2015 the 13th vintage won the Gran Vinari d'Or. And at the Arrels del Vino fair, held in the Empordà, it's the wine that has won the competition the most times.

An Empordà gem

In this glass, you'll find the toasted and smoky notes provided by the wood, discreetly, of course, because I find, and so it should be, that it lends more elegance than forcefulness. It's a long, creamy, unctuous wine. The pleasure lasts a long time. Count how many seconds the taste lingers in your mouth after swallowing. Pair it with chicken with crayfish, a fish stew, any surf and turf you desire. You'll find it in great and beloved coastal restaurants. At the Miramar in Llançà, the Voramar in Portbou, the Compartir in Cadaqués... "Guiristas come to the winery because they've had it on the tasting menu at Miramar, for example. Or they tell you that the people at Voramar, when they ask for local produce, a product of the region, choose the Blanc dels Aspres."

Since Eduard Toldrà got married at the winery, today's piece of music is his. In fact, some of the wines in the winery, such as Sol Ixent and S'Alou, are named after the musician's compositions. Enjoy this historic, forward-looking wine, break barriers, and remember, above all, that no one who lives here has ever tasted the Empordà gem of the white hackberry.