Xarel-lo is the jewel of Catalonian wine culture. It’s emerged as one of Spain’s most fascinating grape varieties, producing wines with tons of fruit intensity and bold minerality. Once known as a blending grape in Cava, it is now responsible for some of the best white wines of the Iberian peninsula.

Few Catalonian winemakers have captured our attention like the young and charming Agustí Torello Roca. He’s responsible for his family’s winery, AT Roca — we’ve offered his deliciously elegant sparkling wines many times in this newsletter — as well as a personal project, which he calls Anima Mundi. As part of the Classic Penedès DO, AT Roca is committed to organic viticulture and long aging; Anima Mundi is his chance to experiment with the region’s native grapes. All of the fruit used for Anima Mundi is farmed biodynamically, in an attempt to express the natural beauty and biodiversity of each particular vineyard as specifically as possible.

The Penedès, with its diverse soils and geographical situation encompassing both rocky mountains and the nearby Mediterranean, is home to some truly incredible terroirs. Agustí’s vines are planted on calcareous soils at high elevations, imbuing each cuvée with palpable minerality, and balancing out the generous fruit of the Mediterranean with a long, savory, chalky finish.

Grès is 100% Xarel-lo, pressed whole cluster and aged half in stainless steel and half in 500L used French oak barrels. It’s a versatile, easygoing example of the variety, replete with Xarel-lo’s characteristic minerality and crisp herbaceousness. It’s a natural foil for savory, smoky grilled fish, shellfish, or even pork (it’s a Spanish wine, after all), but it will make a fine companion at a totally vegetarian dinner table, too. With its subtle orchard fruit flavors, complex texture, and fresh acidity, it’s kind of the perfect summer white.

Anima Mundi, Penedes Grès, 2023 $24.99