Tastings: Wines from a stone

La Vinyeta is a well-known winery from Empordà, run by husband and wife team, Josep Serra (who is originally from the region) and Marta Pedra. Like Josep, Marta is also a trained oenologist and she brought out her own line of wines called 'Vins de Pedra' a couple of years ago. Literally meaning ‘wines from stone’, it was a play on her father’s family name, as these wines were borne of her home region in Conca de Barberà.

At a breezy altitude of 200 metres, Marta’s family has vineyards aged between 30 and 40 years, which they had been selling off to other wineries for years. She made the decision to create her own wines from them and initially released a 100 percent Chardonnay white called L’Orni, and a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend called La Musa in 2012.

The wines were easy to spot as they featured the artwork of Marta’s uncle wrapped around the bottles, which are designed by Josep’s brother, Lluis. She has since expanded her repertoire to include a 100 percent Trepat wine—a stubborn grape, local to the Conca de Barberà region, that has gained attention recently as people try to work it into red wines. This was an interesting re-tasting to see the evolution of Marta’s wine, as her work goes from strength to strength with each vintage.

Trempat 2013

Mature strawberries, rustic, menthol, and a touch ferric, as is typical of Trepat. Perky with a crisp body although not abound in depth. Easy to drink with bundles of acidity for great food pairing. €12

La Musa 2012

Dark fruits with notes of plums, figs, and lactic. Good acidity and smooth in the mouth, relatively fresh, with good aging notes and a persistent finish. €12