Joan Rubió Sumoll 2023 Pét Nat Rosé

We’re kicking off the Easter break at SWL with a wine that is both radical and thoroughly modern. It ticks all the boxes for current trends: made from a variety that had fallen out of favour in Penedès, low in alcohol, and bottled with bubbles, one of today’s most sought-after styles.

There’s nothing contrived about it, though. Since launching his own project in 2015, Joan Rubió has been quietly working in this vein, drawing on the vineyards of Cal Tiques, his small family estate in Santa Margarida i els Monjos, a few kilometres south-west of Vilafranca del Penedès, near Barcelona.

His approach is straightforward but deliberate: early picking to preserve acidity and keep alcohol in check, alongside skin maceration or fermentation to build texture. For Rubió, terroir resides in the  skins. The wines are made without pressing or foot-treading, a detail flagged by a symbol on the label. Still wines are usually aged in clay amphorae or seasoned barrels.

A short video on the website of his distributor, Cuvée 3000, offers a telling snapshot of his philosophy. In it, he recalls uprooting Xarel·lo vines in his youth to plant Merlot (“We all lost our way a bit,” he admits), and later immersing himself in biodynamics after discovering the importance of soil health. One of his  winemaking principles is this: “If you chase so-called stability, the winebecomes weaker and oxidation becomes your enemy. Add nothing, and the wine becomes stronger and livelier; then reduction is the challenge.”

This Sumoll is a new release that he presented earlier this year at Liquid Vins in Barcelona, a tasting focused on small, terroir-driven producers. Originally intended as a still wine from the Sumoll and Monastrell vines that he had planted in La Plana de Vilafranca, it took a different turn when yields came in lower than expected, leading Rubió to bottle is as a pet-nat instead.

Sumoll has a reputation for being tannic, austere and challenging to cultivate, but in sparkling form its edges soften, allowing its natural energy and acidity to come through. While it isn’t permitted in Cava, Sumoll is accepted in Clàssic Penedès and Corpinnat. Rubió, who works outside any appellation, told us how challenging it was to produce a rosé without a wine press in the winery. However, he has plenty of experience with sparkling wines, having worked as technical director at Recaredo for 15 years.

The bottle we tasted spent 15 months on its lees and was disgorged on 5 December 2024, details helpfully stated on the label. In the glass, the wine is lively and full of character, with the rustic nature of the variety dialled back to let the red fruit notes take centre stage. With its vibrant profile and distinctive label, it's just the sort of wine to mark a break from routine and ease into a slower pace. 

11% abv
1,600 bottles
€25 
Score: 92