Case of Aucalà Tinto 2023 | $33.00 per bottle

Aucalà Tinto 2023 | D.O. Terra Alta, Catalonia
Producer: Serra i Barceló · Winemaker: Josep Serra
Region: Aucalà, between Gandesa and Bot — D.O. Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain
Grape: Garnatxa Negra (Red Grenache)
Ageing: 8 months — 40% in third- and fourth-year 400-litre barrels, the remainder in stainless steel on its fine lees
$33.00 bottle | $396.00 case of 12

The Vibe Garnacha in this part of Catalonia is usually pushed toward power — high alcohol, dark extraction, plenty of new oak. Serra's version is the opposite argument: mid-weight, red-fruited and lifted, with just enough old barrel to round the edges and not a gram more. It's the red equivalent of what he does with the white — restraint, and a refusal to let technique speak louder than the site.

The Taste Raspberry and strawberry lead, threaded with Mediterranean forest — scrub, pine, dried herb — and a light citrus lift that keeps the fruit from settling. A subtle mineral background sits underneath. Smooth and elegant on the palate, carried by silky, sweet, granular tannins, with acidity balanced enough to make the finish long, fresh and persistent rather than heavy.

Best Enjoyed With Serve at 14–16°C, or take twenty minutes in the fridge on a warm evening — it takes a light chill well. Grilled lamb, botifarra, rice dishes, charcuterie, mushrooms, tomato-forward cooking. A red that works at the table rather than dominating it.

The Story Josep Serra is a fourth-generation grower from the Ribera d'Ebre. He spent twenty years directing other people's wineries, bought three hectares of very old vines in upper Capçanes (Montsant) in 2001, and started the family label Serra i Barceló in 2009. Terra Alta came in 2013 — nine hectares in the Aucalà partida on limestone, clay and quaternary fossil dune, farmed with minimal intervention using the estate's own native microbiota. Serra is also the advising winemaker at Vinyes del Terrer in Tarragona.

Across the Vintages  Earlier releases of this wine — including the 2018 — were made as a blend of roughly 90% Grenache with 10% Carignan, so if you know the older bottling, expect the 2023 to read purer and more red-fruited, with less of the Carignan grip. The Aucalà whites, Blanco and Cuvée, come off the same limestone from Garnatxa Blanca.

Shipping & Delivery For details on shipping times and costs, please visit our Shipping & Delivery page.