# Garnatxa - Sumoll (2024)

- **Producer:** Can Sumoi
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Garnatxa Negre, Sumoll Negre
- **Region:** Catalonia, Spain
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €17
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 12–14 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry, herbaceous, fennel, smoke, cedar, forest floor, leather

## About this wine

Can Sumoi is a high-altitude natural wine project in the Baix Penedès region of Catalonia, founded by Pepe Raventós and Francesc Escala of the renowned Raventós i Blanc estate. Located in the Serra del Montmell massif at 600 meters above sea level, the estate dates back to 1645 but had been abandoned for two decades before being revived in 2016. The project is defined by 'biosynergy'—a philosophy where forests, wildlife, vines, and humans coexist in a self-sustaining ecosystem. This cuvée highlights the recovery of local heritage varieties, particularly the rustic and historically marginalized Sumoll grape, blended with the elegant Garnatxa.

## Interesting facts

- The estate sits on an abandoned 400-hectare mountain farm dating back to 1645, revived in 2016 after 20 years of neglect.
- Sumoll was historically banned across Catalonia due to its rustic nature, but survived in these remote, high-altitude vineyards.
- The grapes are harvested on specific biodynamic calendar days: Garnatxa on a 'root day' and Sumoll on a 'fruit day'.
- A portion of the wine is aged in traditional Catalan chestnut wood barrels, a historic regional vessel rarely used today.

## Food pairing

This high-altitude red wine thrives on its vibrant acidity and rustic, fine-grained tannins. It pairs beautifully with rich, savory proteins like lamb, pork, and duck, where the wine's bright acidity cuts through the fat. The wild herbal notes of the Sumoll grape complement Mediterranean herbs, while the crunchy red fruit profile matches beautifully with cured meats and earthy mushroom dishes.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process at Can Sumoi is strictly low-intervention and natural. Grapes are hand-harvested in 15 kg crates according to biodynamic calendar days. After destemming and gentle crushing under an inert atmosphere, spontaneous fermentation occurs using only indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks for 15 days on the skins at 20°C to 24°C. The wine undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation. It is aged for nine months, with 80% in stainless steel and 20% in traditional Catalan chestnut wood barrels, followed by three months of bottle refinement. No oenological additives are used, and the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with minimal sulfur dioxide.