Who is ENRIC SOLER?
I met Enric Soler in 2001, just after my arrival in Barcelona.
One of my objective was to find a wine tasting course and start my connection to wine.
A friend of mine who is food journalist told me that “if you want to learn properly, there is only one place in Barcelona; Vini-fera”.
This small and selected wine class was run by Enric Soler.
Enric is one of the high profile sommeliers. He became the best sommelier in 1999 and winemakers used to ask his opinion before blending and launching the wine.
All the classes of Vini-fera were fascinating. Enric selected wines that one couldn’t afforded, not only for the price, also for accessibility. 100% blind tasting. Some wine were send by winemakers directly who were willing to hear Enric’s honest (sometimes harsh) opinion and reaction of consumers. I met many now-well-know winemakers there.
It was very special moment for me to see how Enric analyses wine.
His tasting was precise, strict, organised and detailed. He was capable to describe every scents and perception of wine. He could see everything in wine and capable to describe it.
I was attending Vini-fera for 5 years and lost leash (probably because my 1st child was born in 2006)..
In 2007, I met Enric again. He was giving clases at CETT (Escuela Universitaria de Hostelería y Turismo ), where I took sommelier course.
He said, “Now I am making wine, too!”.
New Project
Enric inherited his grand father’s vineyards “Vinya dels Taus” after his loss in 2004 - The plot of NUN.
At that time he was busy running Vini-fera and teaching at CETT, plus consultancy. But his friends encouraged him to make his wine.
He is consultant of blending. Through his work, he met many talented winemakers.
These friends, one of them is the top winemaker in Priorat, told him he should try making wine and taught him how to make wine. He followed the advice. Made his first wine and it was superbe.
Vineyards
The plot is less than 1ha and beautifully cared - 80yo Xarel.lo in goblet. The soil is covered with plants. The old Xarel.los are real beauty.
“They are like us. Old people needs special attention and care. It is the same in this vineyards. “
Some wrinkled brunches are supported with stones. Because when they got bunches of ripen grapes on it, it would be too heavy to told by themselves.
Altitude is about 200m above sea level and its soil type is mix of sandy, calcare and clay.
Enric looks after his vineyards following Biodynamic philosophy.
Clean and bright sun light of May strokes vines. Little sparrows are flying over.
The plot is located beside C15 road, but it seems like the sounds and time are kept still.
This place used to be an airfield of Republican’s during Spanish Civil war. Opened, flat and wide.
Right beside is the plot of Impro-visacio.
Bigger (1.3ha), younger (45-65yo) and cared by the same way.
Vines are little bit thiner because of the age. But impeccably clean.
Recently Enric bought vineyards of Parellada right behind plot of NUN and Improvi-sacio.
(So he made a barricade of Biodynamic farming.)
He would like to graft this 25yo vineyard with Malvasia de Sitges.
He already owns a small plot of Malvasia on the other side of the road, which will be pulled out and land will be a part of road C15.
“Well, what we can do? It’s all decided and project is accepted. “ Mediterranean personality appears here. I was worried, thinking “if the road work starts attacking the other side of road? If he is going to loose the plot of Dels Taus, too??” He doesn’t seem worried or be stressed about it.
“But I already got a really nice plan B”. Then he took me to the vineyard of Espenyalluchs.
Espenyalluchs - Xarel.lo on pure clay soil
It is THE PLAN B. Some vineyards really reach to you in the first sight.
This small Paraje (plot) is located on north side of a hill in Torrelles de Foix. This area is like a sanctuary for winemakers in Pendes. Altitude, location and presence of nature.
Taking granted to the altitude (400m above sea level), cava makers used to plan Parellada in this area, but Enric cut bunches of Dels Taus and grafted in this plot 10 years ago.
Lines of vines are facing towards Montserrat mountain with a 10o inclination towards east (perfect).
Soils is not covered with grasses because slope doesn’t help to retain water in soil, so vines will be suffered too much by lack of water in soil.
The paraje is way from everything; noise, high tension electric wines, pollution etc…
Peace and calm.
Over 3000 bush vines are planted less than 1ha of plot. Soil is pure clay. The high altitude makes temperature gap big between day and night.
The plot is surrounded by stone wall and woods that tells Enric that the plot was very important for someone before.
The surface of vineyard follows the slope and there are small gap between vines that makes wine more complex. Depending on the gap, position of pine tree roots, the vines grow differently.
Cellar
Enric reformed his grand parents’ house to cellar first. Then place to live.
Cellar is attached where he lives and be a part of his life.
When I stepped in the cellar, I felt as if I were stepping into the atelier of Yves Saint Laurent.
Elegancy, balance and preciseness.
Beautifully designed cellar and elegant (posh) machines. Even light that comes into the cellar got style.
All the wine is single vineyard and single varietal. Vines are cared with biodynamic farming. Detailed, hand made and a lot of effort.
Enric’s tasting ability really makes difference. He knows how to express the vineyards’ potential in right way and with right words.
Nun is fermentad in burgundy oak barrels (50% new and 50% 2/3rd year) and aged in the same barely for 8 months.
Impro-vissacio is fermented in Stockinger Foudre (2000 lit capacity) and aged for 8 months in there and egg formed cement tanks. Espenyalluchs are fermented in 4th year burgundy oak barrels and aged in the same barrels for 8 months.
Stainless steel tanks are used only for blending.
Wine
Perfection, remarkable balance.
My conclusion after tasing of Enric’s four wines.
Expression of four different type of acidity (precept bu different are of tongue), fruit and texture.
All the wine is made with the same variety and by same person.
It shows potential of Xarel.lo, if you choose the right viticulture method, type of vats and élévage.
It tells us that all the difference, such as age and nature condition of a vineyard, vintage are really related to the wine.
NUN / Beloved son
Nun means mother of a begin. Old Egyptian language and it is a power that produce a begin.
Nun is very comfortable showing itself.
It seems like Enric knows almost everything about the vineyards, winemaking, the wine’s personality and ability of expression.
Confortable, expressive and complex.
Volume of new barrels, potential. A sphere.
Impro-visasio
Like a play or music, it is the best part of live show.
Influence of oak ballers is very small (Enric use only one foudre of 2000lit capacity).
A hint reduction note from egg-formed cement tanks. Marriage of calcare soil and old vineyard of Xarel.lo.
Acidity is more market but very well balanced with juicy fruit note. Agil, straightforward.
Espenyalluchs
I can see the emotion and excitement that this plot gave when Enric saw this in the first time.
Less green note and mineral. But juicy acidity with structure of clay soil.
Enric uses barrels of 4th-5th year to balance with the age of vineyard.
Juicy acidity from drier soil (WO green cover), complexity, youth, elegance.
Istiu
It is coming from “Estiu = Summer” in Catalonian language and when we pronounce this word, it sounds like Istiu.
Note of mediterranean summer fruit; Apricot, Loquat, Pera de Sant Joan.
This wine is like a little brother of Espenyalluchs, similar dryness (dry herb), the way to express acidity but cleary I can see the bright white sun light and strong dark shade of mid summer.
At the end of tasting, I was thinking of one comment of Enric during a tasting session of Vini-fera; Enric confessed that he likes white wine more than red. He was right he showed it.
