Autòcton Celler "Gran Autòcton" Blanc '21

Autòcton Celler is the deeply personal project of Albert Jané, a vigneron best known for his work at Acústic Celler in Montsant and Ritme Celler in Priorat, but whose family roots are in the Penedès. Albert is also a longtime friend of mine. I was with him for his first wedding, and I was there for the birth of his first child, so selling his wines has always felt like something far more personal than simply buying another bottle from Catalunya. With Autòcton, based in La Bisbal del Penedès, Jané turns his attention back toward Catalunya’s native grapes, especially those that have long been overlooked or treated as supporting players.

“Gran Autòcton” Blanc is the top white cuvée of the estate, made primarily from Xarel·lo with a small percentage of Malvasia de Sitges. The fruit comes from the Baix Penedès and Alt Camp, from poor clay and calcareous soils planted between 300 and 500 meters of elevation. Fermentation and aging take place over 10 months in large French oak barrels and clay amphora, with weekly bâtonnage on the lees, giving the wine both breadth and savory complexity while preserving the natural backbone of Xarel·lo.

This is not a simple, seaside white wine, but a serious gastronomic white in the old Catalan tradition. The 2021 Gran Autòcton Blanc has the waxy texture, citrus peel, fennel, almond, and saline edge that make Xarel·lo so compelling, with Malvasia de Sitges adding a faintly floral, Mediterranean lift. Albert also loves to grill, and I cannot think of a better setting for this wine than a table full of Calçots, Botifarra, and good friends.