Castell del Remei Oda Costers del Segre 2020

Smooth, yet bursting with flavor and wonderfully intriguing, the 2020 Castell del Remei Oda combines the best of Spain and France in this delicious blend of Tempranillo (40%), Garnacha (21%), Syrah (20%), and Merlot (19%). Floral, fruit, and woodsy aromas meld with a light touch of sandalwood to delight the nose. Although still youthful and carrying 15% ABV, the 2020 Castell del Remei Oda opens nicely in the glass, exhibiting suavity and great mouth appeal to complement the wine’s distinctive fruit and wood flavors. In the mouth, red and black fruits, vanilla, and hints of clove caress the palate. Elegance and complexity merge in the 2020 Castell del Remei Oda, providing both joy and intrigue from start to finish. For optimum enjoyment we suggest affording this wine at least 20-30 minutes of aeration before consuming at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Anticipated maturity: 2023-2029. Enjoy!

The suave, full-bodied 2020 Castell del Remei Oda brings a hearty welcome to any table, which makes it the ideal dinner companion. Whether it is Beef Wellington or a less grandiose cut of meat, the 2020 Castell del Remei Oda will stand and deliver. Braised Short Ribs served with the creamiest of mashed potatoes, pearl onions, braised carrots, and roasted fennel are a personal favorite in the company of this wine. A perfectly grilled herb encrusted lamb shank makes another superb companion. A traditional Catalan recipe that many consider to the be region’s signature dish, Mongetes amb Botifarra (White Beans with grilled pork sausages) may not sound as elegant as some other dishes, but it is extremely flavorful, especially when adorned with a dollop of Spanish allioli. Rich stews and lentil, bean, and cassoulet dishes all provide equally satisfying and tasty accompaniments to the sophisticated, full-flavored 2020 Castell del Remei Oda. Que Aprofiti!

Founded in 1780, Castell del Remei is the oldest winery in Catalonia to estate grow, bottle, and age its wines in the manner of Classified Bordeaux. It can also lay claim to being one of the most beautiful and well-preserved wineries in Catalonia. Moreover, the wines that flow from this venerable Catalan estate are all Certified Organic, and they are even more charming and seductive than the property itself, including this month’s feature, the 2020 Castell del Remei Oda Costers del Segre.

Castell del Remei is a large inland estate with a Mediterranean/Continental climate. Cold winters, hot summers, low rainfall, and relatively low humidity provide ideal conditions for the cultivation of the vine at this prime property. Most of its 100 hectares (approximately 247 acres) of vineyards grow at high elevation (between 700-800 meters) on the mountain in sight of the winery. The soil composition is an enviable mixture of sandy loam, clay, and gravel that affords excellent drainage.

The estate’s varietal composition includes Spain’s most important autochthonous varietals, all of which are vinified by Castell del Remei’s owner and winemaker Tomàs Cusiné. Garnacha (Grenache), Tempranillo, Cariñena, and Trepat predominate for red wines, while the indigenous Malvasia and Macabeu provide the raw material for Catalonia’s traditional white wines. Although not indigenous to Spain, French grape varieties, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, were introduced into Catalonia by Castell del Remei in the 19th century. These French grape varieties figure significantly in the wines of Castel del Remei as they do in many Catalan wines, not only in the Costers del Segre D.O. but also in nearby Priorat and throughout Catalonia.

In addition to Castell del Remei’s Oda, which is a luxurious blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Syrah, and Merlot, Castell del Remei fashions a full range of delicious red and white wines, including Gotim Bru (Garnacha, Tempranillo, Syrah, and Cabernet) and Gotim Bru Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc and Macabeu). Castell del Remei’s Gotim Bru wines, which roughly translates to a bunch of red or white grapes respectively, are delicious blends that drink beautifully upon release and, like Oda, they have consistently earned numerous accolades and 90+ point scores. Castel del Remei also produces 1780, a super luxury Cabernet-centric blend named for the founding date of the winery. Unfortunately, Castell del Remei’s recent releases have not yet been reviewed in the United States as Castell del Remei’s wines have only recently become available again in the US after several years of absence. Castell del Remei also crafts a tasty, robust 100% Garnacha.