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For a family run winery, there is a lot of breadth to the wines produced here. We are familiar with many of the wines of this estate and therefore decided to taste only the ones we were not acquainted with or the ones we wanted to revisit.  So, here are some of our impressions from the tasting. 

2017 Somiatruites White

I don’t speak Catalan. But Somiatruites literally means “Dreaming of trout!”. Trout, the fish! It refers to a person who is a day dreamer, sort of an idealist.

The Somiatruites is a white blend of Xarel.lo, Muscat, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. There is a lot going on here in harmony. Very floral wine with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. The finish is good with a bitter orange bite at the end

2017 La Caperucita Verde (Green Riding Hood)

Rueda. We were in Penedès and tasting a Rueda! This is all Verdejo. Extremely refreshing, this one is like adult lemonade with hints of fennel and tropical fruits. Zingy acidity will make this an easy wine to pair with foods.

2015 Xarel.lo

This was a revelation. We find Xarel.lo in it’s blended form everywhere. With other grapes like Parellada and Macabeu, it forms the basis of Cava, the sparkling wine of Spain. But an oaked version of this Catalan grape is a beautiful wine indeed. The wine spent 4 months in oak with battonage. Extremely complex with notes of pears, green apples, vanilla and marzipan. Delicious wine

2017 Llop Golafre (The Greedy Wolf)

Greedy not for sheep, but for good times. Greedy for wines. This is a Syrah blend with an eye towards easy drinking. There is some Tempranillo and Cabernet in here to keep it all together, but this is one heck of a tasty wine. It’s also a great value. Retails at $19.99/bottle.

Tarat Shhh…

The beer bottle. We wondered why the name. Our assumption and one that made sense was that this wine is meant to be kept as a secret (Shhhhh….). This is a red wine. This has some frizzante. It has a bottle cap. It has one of the coolest label. It is delicious. It is meant to be served with a little chill to it. Who would want to give away a secret like that! But that is not the only reason for the Shhhh.. It is the sound made when you pop the bottle cap!

The Tarat Shhh is an attempt at being unconventional. To break rules. This is not a wine to be swirled and sniffed and opined upon. This is meant to be sheer fun. Some of you may remember the older label with the colored bands. This new one gets all Salvador Dali on you!

It can be drunk like beer. It can be had with food. It is meant to be shared with friends. Sheer. Fun! Retails at $16.99/bottle.

2015 Sonat de l’ala

This was one of the wines that first drew us to the wines of Ferré i Catasus. A blend of Syrah, Garnacha and Merlot, this leads with a very rich inviting nose – cedar, red fruits and mint. Full of red fruits and spice, this is a wine to savor.

The name Sonat de l’ala, can be interpreted in many ways. “Touched in the head”, “Bats in the belfry” or in a loose sense “someone who does not give a f*&#” Interesting label like most of the wines of Ferré i Catasus, this is also a very interesting wine. Retails at $19.99

2013 Gall Negre

One of the Catalonia’s most curious Christmas fairs takes place in Vilafranca del Penedès. The fair called Fira del Gall revolves around the Black Rooster or Gallo Negro. This fair is centuries old and goes back to 1664.

While we were too early in the season to hang out at the festival, we tried the wine that Ferré i Catasus made in homage to the bird! This is 100% Merlot sourced from a small vineyard of 35 years old vines. The grapes are manually harvested and barrel aged. The is is a very New World Rendition of Merlot, reminding me of the Merlots from the Rutherford appellation. Elegant red fruits, black cherries, with cardamom and cinnamon followed by dark chocolate and a long finish.

Very focused wine, this is one for the collectors. Retails at $34.99!

2012 Fotja

This is a Montsant. Montsant is the region that almost encircles the appellation of Priorat. It is a beautiful country up in the mountains and the wines reflect their high mountain origins very well. The old label was all black. The new label is a total makeover and I am still trying to figure it out! The wine takes no figuring out to do.

A blend of Garnacha , Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is inky red with red fruits, olive tapenade and  a spicy long finish. It has a nice vein of acidity. Think food here. Very good value at $20.99/bottle. 

As I mentioned earlier, there are more labels produced by Ferré i Catasus than are shown here. Notable among the ones not tasted is a Priorat named Terra de FIC, a red wine from Terra Alta called Dimoni Vermell and several cuveés of Cava. All worth seeking out.