Pardas Sus Scrofa, Penedes

This Sumoll presents a fascinating expression of a grape that breaks conventional rules, offering big, floral, and dark characteristics with a crunchy, rustic appeal reminiscent of Nebbiolo or Morgon du Puy in style. The wine delivers searing acidity with gorgeous grippy tannins that make it an excellent food wine, showcasing how modern winemakers are elevating this historically underrated variety into something truly special.

Pardas represents the innovative spirit of Penedès winemaking, championing indigenous varieties like Xarel·lo and Sumoll since 1996 when they transformed a disused winery in their river valley location. With 100,000 bottles produced annually, this family operation works intuitively rather than by textbook, believing that 80% of wine decisions are made during harvest. Their vineyards benefit from alluvial soils deposited by the river and cooling west-east winds, with 90% of their wines crafted in cement tanks to preserve the pure expression of their grapes. Pardas demonstrates that local varieties like Xarel·lo—the hero grape of Penedès—can produce exceptional wines when grown on the limestone and clay soils they favour, whilst also pioneering quality expressions of the historically high-yielding Sumoll grape.