A mere half hour to the west of Barcelona lies the Garraf Massif, a coastal, limestone mountain range that is rocky, wild and dotted with the deepest caves in Spain. As a viticultural zone it is classed as ‘Alt Penedès’ which is, terroir speaking, a world away from the plains of Penedès. Based in Olesa de Bonesvalls, the brilliant enologist couple Raimon and Anna are VallDolina, the new face of an ancient estate called Can Tutusaus (documented since 1348). Painstakingly restoring key vineyard sites and evolving our understanding of this hidden gem of Catalan terroir, they control 11 hectares of vine, including some precious Xarel.lo plants over 75 years old. We believe that this sanctuary of sloping terraces, pine forest and remote, cold nights, is the pinnacle growing area for Xarel.lo – a Catalan white variety. Here these wines are stoney, mineral, and driven by brisk acidity, capable of ageing effortlessly in bottle for many years.
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“Here, in the Can Tutusaus estate (est. 1348), you’ll find the tiny winery of Valldolina and its 11 organic hectares of vineyards. But for the vines the estate is a forest of pine and oak trees, brooms, fennel, rosemary, thyme, lavender and many other Mediterranean plants typical of the protected and diverse ecosystem of the Penedes Garraf.” — The Modest Merchant, UK