Good wine doesn’t have to be expensive!?
I often hear this comment: why do these wines always have to be so expensive?!
They don’t… We work with plenty of estates making fantastic wines at very good prices.
And I’m not talking about “Aldi prices” from large industrial wineries, but fair prices for wines from passionate, family-run estates, often in lesser-known regions.
Of course, it all comes down to your taste and what you feel like drinking. These producers also make top wines costing between 30 and 50 euros. A very reasonable price for the quality they offer. Because you’re not paying for a label or a famous name.
A few examples?
Easy!
Just look at
Celler del Roure (Valencia),
Torre de Barreda (Castile),
Bodem (Calatayud),
Castro Ventosa (Bierzo),
Mustiguillo (Valencia),
Jané Ventura (Penedès),
Acústic (Montsant),
Buil i Giné (Priorat),
Joan d’Anguera (Montsant),
Alegre-Valgañón (Rioja),
Vetus (Toro, Rueda),
Javier Sanz (Rueda),
Elías Mora (Toro),
Augustus (Penedès),
Cervolés (Costers del Segre)…
and I could go on for quite a while.
But one of the most important names is still missing from this list, and that’s the estate I want to talk about today. It was
the very first estate we worked with when we started in 1994: our organic pioneers,
Albet i Noya.
Throughout all those years, they have consistently been one of our best estates for value.
Today, the next generation is at the helm:
Martì and
Adriá Albet.
They share the same drive for quality and authenticity that inspired their respective fathers, Josep-María and Toni Albet.
Their story struck a chord with me when I was just 24 and starting out. They went against the tide by taking up organic viticulture at a time when nobody thought it mattered or was open to the idea.
But most importantly: their wines were superb and not expensive at all.
And guess what? That’s still true today!
I recently told you about their top reds: Reserva Martí and La Milana. Here you can enjoy outstanding wines without paying for the label or the name. Just the quality.
But today, I want to talk about two of their white wines.
They showcase two classic Catalan grape varieties:
Xarel.lo and
Macabeu. I admit it:
these are two of my favourite white grape varieties. Both can age beautifully, yet they are already lovely in their youth.
And as always, we seek out the finest examples of each grape variety, including
Xarel.lo and
Macabeu.
But when it comes to drinking pleasure and value for money,
I simply have to mention these two:
The first, as its name suggests, is a blend from three different Macabeu vineyards at Can Milà de la Roca, in the Ordal massif in Penedès. All are organically farmed and were planted in the 1950s, so these really are old vines.
Yet they chose not to age this Macabeu in wood. This is Macabeu at its freshest. But make no mistake: this wine can easily keep for five years. And with a bit of luck, even longer! Macabeu is, after all, a white grape variety that can age beautifully.
Here you have the essence of the Mediterranean in a bottle: a taste of summer, yet wonderfully refreshing. All for just over 15 euros. And only 11.5% alcohol, thanks to the vineyards’ altitude.
Where else do you find that these days?!
The second is El fanio 2024
This is 100% Xarel.lo, the other typically Catalan grape variety. Spicier, but also a little more serious. Part of the wine was fermented in concrete eggs (often used by organic and biodynamic producers), and the rest in acacia barrels. Just as it used to be.
This Xarel.lo is also planted at Can Milà de la Roca. The highest vineyard here is planted with Xarel.lo, rather than Macabeu. And again, just 12% alcohol.
This wine can easily continue to age beautifully for several more years.