# Els Jelipins Red (NV)

- **Producer:** Els Jelipins
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Sumoll
- **Region:** Catalonia, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €85
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, plum, herbaceous, violet, smoke, forest floor, mushroom

## About this wine

Founded by former agronomical engineer Glòria Garriga and her daughter Berta, Els Jelipins is a tiny, highly sought-after artisanal estate located in the hills of Alt Penedès, Catalonia. Disillusioned with modern industrial agriculture, Glòria set out in 2001 to create wines of purity and balance in harmony with nature. Operating outside the official D.O. Penedès framework as Vi de Taula, the estate focuses on preserving old-vine Sumoll—an ancient indigenous Catalan grape variety that faced extinction. Each bottle produced by Els Jelipins is unique, featuring a heart hand-painted directly onto the glass rather than a traditional paper label, with colors varying by vintage.

## Interesting facts

- Instead of a paper label, every bottle features a heart hand-painted directly onto the glass by the winemakers.
- Annual production is extremely tiny, with only around 1,600 to 2,000 bottles crafted per vintage.
- Winemaker Glòria Garriga intentionally bottles outside the official D.O. Penedès appellation to maintain absolute autonomy.

## Food pairing

The bright, high-toned acidity and firm, fine-grained tannins of old-vine Sumoll effortlessly cut through rich, fatty meats such as duck and pork belly. The wine's earthy undertones and wild berry profile harmonize beautifully with game birds, forest mushrooms, and mature goat cheeses.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested over multiple meticulous passes from ancient bush vines aged 80 to 100 years. In the cellar, 100% of the grapes are hand-destemmed and hand-sorted. Fermentation occurs naturally with wild ambient yeasts in neutral vessels without temperature control or mechanical extraction, undergoing a long, gentle infusion on the skins that can last up to two months. The wine matures on its primary lees for approximately 30 months in large Slavonian oak foudres, neutral French oak demi-muids, and terracotta amphorae, followed by a year of bottle aging. Bottled without fining, filtration, or added sulfur.