Partida Creus CX

Partida Creus CX – Cartoixa Vermell, which is the colloquialism for a local varietal that has been left in the waste basket of memory, Xarello Rosado. This is the red counterpart to Xarel-lo and in spite of vinification as a white, it is these red skins that create the unusual, if not enticing hue of this bareback wine. Although the pink-tinged amber appearance may colour one’s assumptions with thoughts of skin-contact, this is the by-product of a direct press, seven months in stainless steel and bleeding grape skins. A faint oxidation shall greet you first, followed hastily by notes of mandarin rind, nutmeg and tomato leaf. A tactile vibrancy opens up one’s palette as citrus peel, grapefruit and a touch of gingerbread tickle the tongue.

The Partida Creus project has been a labour of sustainable love since 2007 for Italian architects Antonella Gerosa and Massimo Marchiori. Having uprooted their lives in Piedmont, they sought agricultural solace in Bonastre, a whistle-stop village in the Baix Penedés region. The initiative was spearheaded by ecological yearnings from the outset; they renovated a dilapidated farmhouse with recycled materials, purchased vineyards that were almost, if not fully abandoned and began working towards reintegrating forgotten varietals into the viticultural zeitgeist. Some of these autochthonous varieties had been disqualified from the D.O altogether, most were verging on complete obsolescence. This was not solely a wine-making operation but a restoration of regional history, yielded by tradition and happy soils.

Partida Creus CX is a wine personified- alive, kicking and breathing continued life into Baix Penedés, one unique and astonishly fresh sip at a time.