A Penedès gem, a Xarel·lo whisperer, and a beautiful human, Joan Rubió.
I randomly met Joan over a year ago at Pet Nat in Barcelona. I was hanging with Sam during the late afternoon lull (the best time to go to a wine bar in Europe—I have randomly met and tasted with so many winemakers this way!) when Joan and his rep walked in to show Cal Tiques wines. Next thing you know, we’re all pasándolo demasiado bien and I have stayed in touch ever since. Finally, I was able to visit him this past November and remind my palate of why Xarel·lo and Sumoll deserve our attention.
Having worked his way up to Technical Director (a position he held for 13 years) at Recaredo and convincing them that biodynamic farming was the way, Joan decided to pivot in 2015 and reclaim his family vines in favor of a better work-life balance. His wife Angels joined him and thus Cal Tiques was born.
Their wines vibrate and get under your skin with minerality while fresh acidity lifts you and flavors linger long. Like any legendary winemaker I’ve met, Joan’s main focus is the vineyards and maintaining living soils. In the cellar, things are pretty straightforward and immaculately clean. I would apply at least a 10-second rule to eating anything dropped on his floors. Upon arrival, his carefully hand-picked grapes turn into unpressed, free-run juice that vinifies on its own with a period of skin maceration lasting anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, depending on variety and vintage. No additives, no fining or filtering, just some SO2 at the end to ensure we’re all getting a taste of what his vines and experience can produce.
I won’t get into tasting notes, because I’d recommend you try them all. If you must pick just one, go for Obstinat, a stainless-steel fermented Xarel·lo that spends a few months in barrel before aging at least two years in bottle. But again, try them all!
We visited his vines and spent a lot of time talking about his philosophy, but I was so enthralled I didn’t take a single photo!
After such a spiritually fulfilling visit, I was physically starving, so he called up his buddy and owner of Cal Xim in the nearby town of Sant Pau d’Ordal. Ooooo, I highly this spot! The town is super cute, the wine list ample, and the food amazing…why rewrite what the owner Carlos Geli said?
Cal Xim means good artichokes, succulent meat cooked in a cozy fireplace.
Good wines…
But also, and above all, a people, a way of doing and being, a human warmth that makes food an act of reconciliation with man.
Make sure to make a resy before going unless Joan can call and hook you up too 🙂 I highly recommend starting with the Trinxat, a lovely mixture of cabbage, Butifarra and potato, topped off with bacon. From there, the grilled artichokes are a must and the lamb was delicious with my wine. It was a lot, but my only meal of the day, so why not make it count?
Also, as posted on social later that day, nobody cares in Spain if you want to buy a bottle just for a glass and then take the rest to go so you can enjoy a glass here and there over the next few days. I am generally anti by-the-glass, so this is ideal for me.
The Fera Ferotge 100% Sumoll by Descregut is a high-acid natty boy with peppery rustic red fruit. Though I enjoyed the bottle and it went great with my lamb, I believe I’d try more Sumoll versions before returning to this one. But it was great for a dehydrate-while-you-rehydrate moment back at my hotel!
Cheers!
Scenes from July 2023 <3
