La Salada Malvasia de Sitges ‘Sota Els Ametllers’ Penedes 2023

Malvasia de Sitges is one of Spain’s rarest indigenous grape varieties — historically associated with the coastal town of Sitges near Barcelona, where it was used to make a traditional sweet wine. La Salada’s Sota Els Ametllers (“beneath the almond trees”) is a biodynamic, zero-SO₂ expression of this variety that manages something unusual: the aromatics you might expect from a sweet wine — beguiling, exotic, floral — combined with a palate that is light, nimble, and completely dry.

About La Salada

Toni and Anna are Penedès biodynamic producers dedicated to preserving and expressing the region’s ancient indigenous varieties. Their wines — Sumoll, Garnatxa Blanca, Malvasia de Sitges — are made in tiny quantities, always biodynamically, always with zero sulfur added.

Tasting Notes

Ametllers still manages to be light, nimble, and refreshing on the palate despite its beguiling aromatics, which we might normally associate with a saccharine quality or weight. It manages the trick of being aromatic and specific without being heavy — a difficult balance that not many wines achieve.

How to Serve

Serve at 12–14°C. Open 20 minutes before serving. A wine for curious drinkers who want something they haven’t had before.

Food Pairing

Aged Manchego, Idiazábal, grilled vegetables, Pa amb tomàquet (Catalan bread with tomato), light seafood.