Celler Pardas "Blau Cru" Malvasia de Sitges '22

Celler Pardas began as a partnership between two friends, Ramon Parera and Jordi Arnan, who discovered and purchased a special masía (Catalan farmhouse) called Can Comas in the Alt Penedès, surrounded by vineyards and agriculture. From the start, their focus has been on elevating local varieties—especially Xarel·lo and Sumoll—with the aim of showing the clearest, most site-driven expression of each grape. Committed to organic farming and wines of terroir, Pardas has also helped inspire a wider return to indigenous varieties and more place-centered viticulture in the region.

The work begins in the vineyards at Finca Can Comas with Jordi, whose farming is meticulous: dry-farmed, no chemicals, no fertilizers, and a thoughtful, low-impact approach that prioritizes vine health and resilience. In the cellar, Ramon keeps the same philosophy—gentle handling to preserve identity and texture.

The wine we’re excited to share is Blau Cru, made from Malvasia de Sitges—a historic local grape once closely associated with the coastal town of Sitges and traditionally linked to sweet wines. After phylloxera it nearly disappeared, and even today only a small number of hectares remain. Pardas has worked with Malvasia de Sitges organically for years, first using it in their cuvée Rupestris. More recently, they’ve become convinced the grape can stand on its own—Blau Cru is that statement.

In the cellar, the approach is all about purity and precision: the fruit is 100% hand-picked, then lightly crushed and destemmed. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at 18°C for about 20 days, and the wine then rests nine months on its lees in tank to build a subtle, savory texture. There is no barrel aging, no fining agents, and the wine is not filtered, keeping it as transparent and expressive as possible.

What makes Malvasia de Sitges so compelling is its natural acidity and its ability to translate a distinctly Mediterranean kind of minerality and freshness. Blau Cru is dry, vivid, and precise: lifted aromatics of white flowers, lemon peel, and mandarin orange, followed by a palate that’s like biting into a fresh white peach, it is silky, and beautifully persistent. It’s the kind of bottle that disappears quickly—especially alongside a cheese plate with goat cheese, or grilled carabinero prawns finished with olive oil.