Can Ràfols Dels Caus Sumoll 2021

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Sumoll is one of the local red varieties from Penedès, and I tasted two vintages of the varietal bottled by Can Ràfols, including the 2017 Sumoll, from a warm, dry and early harvest. The grape has a pale color and good acidity, a sort of Mediterranean Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo, so it needs to be treated gently. It reached 14.13% alcohol and retained 6.1 grams of acidity (tartaric) while keeping a pH of 3.12. The head-pruned vines on a limestone slope were planted over 50 years ago. It fermented in stainless steel, and after malolactic, it matured in 450-liter chestnut barrels for five months. It has a deeper color and shows more ripeness than the 2016 I tasted next to it, within the red fruit and light profile of the grape. The chestnut wood seems to give it a bit of a rustic touch. 1,957 bottles were filled in April 2018.

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