Tomàs Cusiné Auzells 2024, Costers del Segre DO, Catalonia, Organic

Auzells is the signature white of Tomàs Cusiné and one of the first wines he made after founding his winery in El Vilosell, in the Costers del Segre DO of inland Catalonia. The certified organic vineyards sit at over 700 metres on sandy loam and gravel over limestone, where altitude offsets the Mediterranean heat. Auzells is a blend of many white varieties that changes with each vintage, typically led by Macabeo alongside the likes of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Albariño and Muscat. The grapes are hand-picked and chilled before sorting, each variety is fermented separately at cool temperatures, and the wine spends three months on its lees in tank, with around a tenth fermented in French oak for extra depth.

In the glass it is pale yellow with green glints. The nose is fresh and highly aromatic, with lemon, white flowers, honeysuckle and a hint of fennel, alongside pear, green apple and grapefruit. The palate is vibrant and clean, with citrus and mineral notes and a long, persistent finish.

Serve well chilled, at 7–9°C. It makes a great aperitif and a natural match for tapas: think gildas, croquetas, garlic prawns, olives and oysters, as well as seafood salads and shellfish risotto. Drink it young and fresh, within two to three years of the vintage.

Tomàs Cusiné founded his own winery in 2003 in El Vilosell, a village in Les Garrigues, in the Costers del Segre DO of inland Catalonia. It was his first independent project, after years of experience at his family’s wineries, Castell del Remei and Cérvoles. El Vilosell sits where Costers del Segre meets Conca de Barberà and Montsant, below the Serra de la Llena hills that separate it from Priorat. Tomàs owns 30 hectares of vineyards and works with around 70 more hectares from contracted local growers. Many of the vineyards sit at 700 metres or more, largely on north-facing slopes, and 17 grape varieties are planted. His own vines are farmed organically, using only organic compost and keeping sulphur and copper treatments to a minimum, and the wines are certified organic by the CCPAE, Catalonia’s organic body.