# Els Bardissots Oriental Negre (2022)

- **Producer:** Els Bardissots
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo
- **Region:** Catalunya, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 10.0%
- **Average price:** €18
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** No
- **When to drink:** Now
- **Serving temperature:** 12–14 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, strawberry, plum, herbaceous

## About this wine

Els Bardissots was created in 2016 as a collaborative natural winemaking project by Pep Pou, Pilar Rosell, and renowned natural winemaker Oriol Artigas. Located in Vallès Oriental north of Barcelona, the team works to restore neglected old vineyards along coastal Catalunya. The Oriental Negre cuvée is sourced from young vines grown on sauló, a local decomposed granitic sand soil mixed with clay, in the Torre Blanca parcel.

## Interesting facts

- Els Bardissots translates to 'the briars,' referencing the wild bushes surrounding coastal vineyards.
- This wine features a remarkably low alcohol content of just 10% ABV for a Spanish red wine.
- Bottled without added sulfur dioxide, relying on natural granite soil acidity for stability.

## Food pairing

This light-bodied, vibrant red wine with soft tannins and fresh acidity pairs exceptionally well with lighter red meats, cured charcuterie, and Mediterranean vegetables. Its crisp structure works similarly to a full-bodied white wine, cutting through moderate fat without dominating subtle flavors.

## Wine making process

Hand-harvested whole-cluster grapes undergo 6 to 8 days of skin maceration in stainless steel tanks, fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts without temperature control. Following a gentle pressing back into stainless steel, the wine ages for 4 months on fine lees. It is bottled completely unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfur dioxide.