The 2011 El Bassots is produced with Chenin Blanc in contact with the skins, which give the wine a distinct orange color. It aged for one year in used oak barrels. The nose has hints of cider and beer, with notes of very ripe yellow fruit and of spices and chalk. The palate is much fresher than what the nose points to, with clean acidity, pungent flavors, quite long and refreshing. A white of strong personality. It should go well with spicy food or white meat. Drink now-2017. Joan Ramon Escoda started this project in 2003 and has 8.5 hectares of vineyards in Conca de Barbera. His wines are produced in the “natural” style, without addition of sulfur. As is often the case I find that whites behave better in this style. Importer: Vin de Terra Imports, Springfield, VA; tel. (703) 731-2058

The 2009 El Bassots is a pure Chenin Blanc, a natural wine that is made under a closed biodynamic system, i.e., using all his own animals to supply manure, etc. It has a slight oxidative nose but it is clean and not off-putting. The palate is better than the nose, with intense hazelnut and smoky notes and an arresting nutty finish that is wild and funky. This is very distinctive and, yes, a pleasure to drink. Drink now-2015. I am uncertain whether the wines of this Conca de Barbera estate continue to be imported into the United States. Having tasted the wines in the UK, they should be. Escoda-Sanahuja produces natural wines under biodynamic principles along a closed system, i.e., there are horses, cows and poultry running around and “doing their bit.” The wines are unfiltered, not fined or stabilized and no sulphur is used. Having worked in the trade, I am fully aware of the issues faced when customers return bottles that have oxidized, so I can only report on the bottles that I tasted myself, which were generally outstanding and individualistic. Winemaker Joan Escoda’s wines are not for everybody’s taste, but I found them endlessly fascinating and the bottom line is...they were delicious. Importer: Jonas Gustafsson, Vin de Terra Imports, Springfield, VA; tel. (703) 731-2058; www.indigowine.com in the UK.