LECTORES VINI
CATALONIA, Spain
When people think of jetsetting oenologists they tend to imagine highly concocted, internationally-styled, animatronic wines without any of the local character we all crave. Fredi is the exception that proves the rule. He has come to occupy an unusual role in the wine world: always on the move and yet fixated on genuine regionality. The guy is all about terroir as expressed through a minimal approach but he’s voracious, doing whatever he can do just constantly, always be making wine! Fredi’s projects reach for the ideal of ‘bottling emotion’ and his restless nature has led him into all sorts of far flung collaborations. “The world is not enough!” exclaims Fredi with an impish grin.
Lectores Vini is one such partnership, this time with Marc Lecha, a seminal figure in establishing Barcelona’s now thriving natural wine scene. The company name, Lectores Vini, is an amalgam of Lecha + Torres = Lectores Vini, or, ‘reading the vines,’ an allusion to Marc’s previous life in the rough ‘n tumble book world. They work as guest winemakers, sourcing historic vineyards and renting out corners in nearby wineries to produce genuinely regional beauties across Catalonia.
PRODUCTS
POMAGRANA
A play on the traditional approach of super light Trepat, but instead of blending with white grapes or making a rosé as most do, they employ a Jura-like technique of gentle destemming to limit extraction and encourage that freshness we all associate with Poulsard. Pressed after a week on the skins and aged in steel, ‘Pomagrana’ is the quintessence of that ‘chilled red’ experience.
'LA SELECCIÓN' MONTSANT
Another jam sesh with Marc! From parcels all across Montsant with many terroirs represented, this is Garnacha, Cariñena and a drip drop of Macabeu with about 30% getting the good ol’ carbonic treatment. Rugged with a flirty side, who can turn that down?