2022 Anima Mundi Alt Penedes Cami dels Xops (pet-nat)

Anima Mundi is a side-project from Agustí Torello Roca, winemaker for his family’s estate winery AT Roca in the Alt Penedès region of Catalonia. Agustí’s goal for this project is to show the true expression of grape and place through keen observation of the land. Anima Mundi is a theory of Plato’s, translating to “the soul of the world.” Much in the way that the soul is connected to the body, Agustí sees wine as a way for us to connect with the Earth. For these wines, Agustí works without any additions or interventions in the winery, and uses clay anfora, concrete and used French oak barrels for fermentations and aging. All fruit for this project comes from their certified organic estate vineyards, as Agustí believes that lively wines can only come from lively soils. These vineyards are in the Costers d’Ordal and have extremely calcareous soils due to the influence of the nearby Garraf Massif. The area - within the Alt Penedès, a comarca (county) in Catalonia and a subzone of the Penedès DO - is located between Sant Sadurni d’Anoia (where their winery is currently located) and Vilafranca del Penedès. The landscape is a tapestry of mixed and varied soils and different microclimates from the convergence of two rivers, mountains, and the Mediterranean sea, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest terroirs in the world. The métode ancestral Cami dels Xops is a blend of Macabeu and Xarel-lo from two adjoining parcels on their property, which are farmed biodynamically. The grapes were hand-harvested and wild yeast fermented in stainless steel tanks and old 225L French oak barrels, and was bottled on October 9th with 20g/L residual sugar. No sulfites were added at any time, and the finished wine was not fined nor filtered. This is a lively, precise, clean, and very mineral pet-nat, ideal for fresh seafood and poultry dishes, grilled vegetables or just sharing with friends.