Torelló 225 2017 Brut Nature

The 2017 225 Brut Nature was produced with a blend of 44% Xarel.lo, 35% Macabeu and the rest Parellada from their earlier harvest ever. It fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the second fermentation in bottle was with yeasts selected by the Institut Català de la Vinya i el Vi (Incavi); then the wine matured in bottle with the lees for more than four years. The Xarel.lo ferments in 225-liter oak barrels (hence the name), and the wine matures in these barrels with the lees for three to six months, depending on the vintage. It has Mediterranean notes of aromatic herbs and fennel and the added complexity from the barrels, despite being well-seasoned, old barrels. It was a very healthy year, which they consider one of their best vintages. 12,500 bottles were produced. I tasted a bottle that was disgorged in May 2022, but all the bottles have the disgorgement date on the back label.