Gallina de Piel, `Roca del Crit` Empordà Cariñena/Garnacha

Gallina de Piel is a winemaking project from David Seijas, former Head Sommelier of three-Michelin-starred restaurant El Bulli. David aims to create versatile wines from Spain’s gastronomic northern regions, Catalonia, Aragon, and Galicia. He works with local growers, selecting the best vineyards planted with indigenous grape varieties, to create wines that emphasise elegance and freshness.

‘Ikigall’ is an aromatic, organic white blend of Xarel-lo, Malvasia de Sitges and Muscat from Penedès, fermented in stainless steel before four months of ageing on its fine lees. The result is a fragrant wine with subtle orange blossom and fennel accents, offset by a crisp, saline palate. ‘Mimetic’ hails from 40 to 80-year-old Garnacha vines grown on deep, red clay soils with large surface pebbles in Aragon’s Calatayud appellation. This arid desert landscape sits at 750–1,000 metres above sea level, with its hot continental climate tempered by cool nights which help retain refreshing acidity in the grapes. The final wine is aged in concrete for six months, creating a bright, juicy expression of Garnacha.

‘Roca del Crit’, which means ‘the screaming rock’, is a nod to the small, hidden cliff behind El Bulli where the sommeliers would go to let off steam after a long shift. The wine is a blend of Cariñena and Garnacha, sourced from two areas in the Empordà appellation on the Spanish/French border. The 85-year-old Cariñena vines are grown on the mountainous, slate soils of Rabós further inland, while the Garnacha comes from the rugged, coastal Cap de Creus, where it grows on predominately granite soils. The Cariñena is aged for 10 months in 500 litre second and third-use barrels, while the Garnacha is fermented in stainless steel. The resulting blend displays notes of red and black cherry, blackberry, and herbs, with a hint of spice from the oak.

‘Manar dos Seixas’, from Ribeiro in Galicia, is a blend of local varieties Treixadura, Albariño, Godello and Loureiro. The vineyards are located in the Miño river valley, where the moderating influence of the river, along with morning fog and valley breezes, results in gentle ripening. The soil is sandy loam with pink granite bedrock, known as 'porriño', and the vines are between 25-30 years old. The wine is unoaked and aged on its fine lees for seven months, adding a supple roundness to the mid-palate.

David has also been working on a project based in Tenerife. `Mazapé` comprises a blend of local white grape varieties Gual and Vijariego Blanco, planted on volcanic soils at an elevation of 160 meters, which lends an elegant minerality to the wine. The Gual is aged in concrete eggs for four months, while the Vijariego Blanco is fermented and aged in French oak barrels. Gual brings a distinctive, smoky complexity to the nose, and the Vijariego Blanco adds fresh nuances of pear, citrus peel, and fennel.