MUZ VERMOUTH

TRY ME IF YOU LOVE: Amaro / Campari / Sweet Vermouth

ABV: 16%

FROM: Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

TASTING NOTES: A blend of barrel-aged and young red wines, mixed with oxidised white wine that is then blended with a sort of grappa base that is steeped with Italian herbs. Sugar is added to complete the balance. Absolutely love this stuff and it goes down way to easily....

PAIRS WITH: Slurp on this before dinner.

SERVE ME: Serve over ice with a slice of citrus.

Partida Creus is the project of two Italians now in residence in the Tarragona region of Catalonia, just south of Barcelona. The idea of the project was to work with historical, often overlooked local varietals that in many cases were not recognised by the D.O. of the area: Penedès. Massimo and Antonella strategically went about buying up small plots of abandoned vineyards dotted around the area where mostly unknown varietals such as Garrut, Vinyater, Samsó and Queixal de Llop grew. They sought to revitalise the vines and work out the best expression for these old varetals, working without chemicals in the vineyard and without selected yeasts or any other additions in the cellar. They make an impressively dizzying number of different wines, all of which are unified by a very distinctive house style - raw, viceral and pungent reds, and salty, turbid, expressive whites. As a couple they have an insatiable energy which really comes through in the wine.