Turo d’en Mota, Brut Nature 2011

Wine description for Turo d’en Mota Brut Nature 2011 by Recaredo

Colour & appearance

Luminous golden yellow with delicate green reflections at the rim. The mousse is fine, even and remarkably consistent – a quiet, almost meditative rise that speaks of extended bottle ageing.

Nose

A bouquet that defies categorisation: turmeric and persimmon open a sensory door to the Orient, followed by ripe apricot, mirabelle, clove and allspice. Beneath lies a cool, chalky layer – sea spray, oyster shell, salt stone and dried herbs. The yeast note is present, but it whispers. Subtle, mature, utterly composed.

Palate

The first sip fills the entire mouth. A fine tannin supports the powerful structure, while the acidity drives subtly forward – integrated, never dominant. Brioche and autolysis trace the long lees ageing, yet the mineral, calcareous registers overlay everything. The fruit remains discreetly in the background, as herbal and Mediterranean notes offer a quiet revelation. The mouthfeel is extraordinary – a benchmark for minerality in sparkling wine.

Finish

Salty, phenolically intense, lingering for minutes. The aromas take hold and refuse to let go.

Terroir & origin

The Turó d’en Mota plot covers just under one hectare on the edge of a forest, planted in 1940 on extremely calcareous soil – poor in organic matter, rich in character. The north-facing slope, with its shaded areas, yields Xarel·lo grapes of exceptional acidity. Recaredo’s vineyards lie on the right bank of the Bitlles River in the hilly coster del Bitlles, where white limestone among the vine rows defines the soil.

Grape variety & vinification

100% Xarel·lo from vines over 80 years old. At least 156 months on the lees – more than thirteen years of patience in the cool cellars. Manually disgorged without freezing, sealed with natural cork throughout the second fermentation in bottle. Brut Nature: zero grams of dosage. What is in the bottle comes solely from grape and time.

Food recommendations

The salty minerality and cool spiciness call for dishes of similar depth: oysters or sole with brown butter, pan-seared scallops on cauliflower, thick slices of Iberian ham, Comté aged for at least 24 months. Also a revelation with roasted cauliflower and tahini or a simple porcini risotto.

Special features

The first single-vineyard Cava in history – first bottled in 1999 out of conviction, not as a marketing gimmick. In 2019, Recaredo left the Cava DO and co-founded Corpinnat with like-minded producers, a collective brand with radical quality standards. Demeter-certified since 2010, the first estate in the region to achieve this. The 2011 vintage yielded only 2,646 bottles – 21 hl/ha. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate awarded the 2005 vintage 95.5 points – the highest score ever given to a Spanish sparkling wine.