() Taleia “The Sound of Silence”,

Castell d’Encus Costers del Segre Torres Raul Bobet 1,000 Talarn

12 Raul

Raul Taleia (obsession)

Castell d’Encus Raul Priorat Ferrer Bobet

Taleia

Costers del Segre DOP

Sauvignon BlancSemillon

80% 25 hl 6 hl 20% 5

Taleia

(Robert Parker’s rating: 93 points)
2018 2018 Taleia 2017 2019 6 17,700 190

Raul Bobet, once the chief winemaker at Torres, is a legendary figure in Spanish wine. Driven by climate concerns, he planted vineyards at 1,000 meters in the Pyrenees, producing Riesling, Semillon, and Pinot Noir that showcase a refined side of Spain.

Castell dEncus lies in Talarn, Catalonia, beside 12thcentury stone cellars carved by monks. Bobet combines these ancient methods with modern techniques, powering the winery sustainably with geothermal energy. His philosophy is to preserve freshness, elegance, and complexity.

Raul is also deeply interested in philosophy and meditation, and he names his wines either in Sanskrit or after the places where the grapes grow. Taleia, means obsession in Catalan, a fitting tribute to Bobets relentless pursuit of purity and precision.

His guiding principle is simple:
Fresh, fine, elegant, complex wines of exceptional quality crafted with minimum intervention, where the vineyard and grapes take the leading role.

His philosophy may seem simple, but it demands meticulous care in vineyard and cellar, backed by a skilled team able to craft wines that inspire even under unpredictable weather. Today, Castell dEncus stands among Spains most exciting wineries on the global stage.

Appellation:
Costers del Segre DOP

Country of Origin:
Catalonia, Spain

Type:
White/Blanc (Still)

Grape Varieties:
Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon

Vinification
80% of the wine was fermented in small, 25hl and 6hl tanks. 20% of the wine was fermented in new French oak barrels with some lees stirring during ageing. This wine was aged in bottle for at least 5 months.

Tasting Notes:
(Robert Parker’s rating: 93 points)
2018 was a cooler year, and the 2018 Taleia is less ripe and has less alcohol and more acidity than the 2017 I tasted next to it. It’s pale, young, shy, clean and focused and has a sharp palate with some bitter flavors and vibrant acidity. This feels undeveloped, very primary, in need of some bottle age. It’s very tasty and makes you salivate. 17,700 bottles and 190 magnums were filled in June 2019.

Music to go with:

Erik Satie -Gymnopdie No. 1