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ARTESANO Pardalet
ARTESANO Pardalet
Regular price
$32.00 USD
Regular price
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$32.00 USD
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Artesano Pardalet is a captivating natural white wine from Artesano Vintners, a small-scale project founded in 2016 by New Zealanders Alex Craighead (of Kindeli Wines) and Mike Shepherd in Catalonia, Spain. Crafted from a blend of indigenous grapes—typically Moscatell de Frontignan (Muscat), Parellada, and Macabeu, with proportions shifting by vintage (e.g., 55% Moscatell, 30% Chenin Blanc, 15% Macabeu in some releases)—it’s sourced from organic vineyards in regions like Terra Alta, Alt Camp, and Conca de Barberà. The vines, rooted in limestone, clay, and sandy soils, benefit from Catalonia’s Mediterranean climate, lending the wine a bright, expressive character.
The winemaking is minimalist and lo-fi: hand-harvested grapes ferment spontaneously with native yeasts, with Moscatell often seeing 12 days of skin contact in stainless steel for a subtle orange-wine texture, while other varieties like Chenin and Macabeu ferment in old French oak barrels before blending and aging in stainless steel. Bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without added sulfites, Pardalet retains its raw, vibrant essence, typically landing at 12-13% alcohol, depending on the vintage.
In the glass, it pours a pale, slightly hazy gold, hinting at its skin-contact roots. The nose is a burst of floral and citrus—think orange blossom and grapefruit from Moscatell, with crisp apple and a touch of honeyed stone fruit from Parellada and Macabeu, all underscored by a chalky minerality. On the palate, it’s fresh and crunchy, with lively acidity, a whisper of tannin, and flavors of lemon zest, green pear, and a saline finish that nods to its terroir. It’s a wine that’s both approachable and intriguing, balancing fruit purity with a rustic edge.
Pardalet—Catalan for "little sparrow"—pairs beautifully with shellfish, grilled vegetables, or soft cheeses, and shines when served chilled (50-55°F). Produced in tiny batches (often around 1,200 bottles), it reflects Artesano’s ethos of letting Catalonia’s native grapes sing with minimal interference, making it a standout in the natural wine scene.
