Target Sensory Profile: Still — El Ramato Carmesí
The Intention
What does "two regions, one protocol" mean for this wine?
The Merlot comes from Vilobí del Penedès — Mediterranean maritime influence, biodynamic and regenerative management, round mid-palate flesh. The Garnatxa comes from Verdú, Lleida — precision biodynamic, fruit weight, glycerol body. Two origins, two farming frameworks, one barrel.
We co-ferment them from Day 1 and age them together for nine months in a single 225 L neutral oak barrel. The wine is not assembled; it is born.
This is precision biodynamic in practice: a single protocol applied across regional difference, with the Five Levers of Control (Time, Temperature, pH/Oxygen, Extraction, Vessel) translating two distinct origins into one integrated wine.
Intended Sensory Expression
On the Nose
- Primary (Merlot from Vilobí del Penedès): dark cherry, plum, soft red fruit
- Secondary (Garnatxa from Verdú): dried Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, thyme), garrigue, fruit weight
- Tertiary (9 months neutral oak microoxygenation): faint leather, dried tobacco leaf, a thread of dried mushroom
- Background: salinity — the limestone signature of both parcels, preserved by the high acidity
Word for the nose: *Mediterranean depth, structured by protocol.*
On the Palate
- Entry: Bright, almost salty freshness — the Acid Shield's pH 3.25 translates directly to the palate
- Mid-palate: Medium body, dark cherry and plum flesh, the Garnatxa glycerol adds weight without heaviness
- Tannins: Present but not aggressive. Merlot's natural soft tannins, polymerized by 9 months of passive microoxygenation through the neutral oak staves. No new oak tannin extracted.
- Acidity: High — TA ~5.8 g/L, pH 3.25. The wine reads as savory, not as acidic. The acidity is a structural element.
- Mineral: Saline thread. The limestone signature of both parcels.
Word for the palate: *savory table wine — bright, structured, built for food.*
The Finish
- Long. The savory character persists.
- A saline thread at the very end — the limestone signature
- Faint tannin grip, polished by 9 months
- No alcohol warmth (12.5% is balanced)
Word for the finish: *a slow Mediterranean exhalation, finishing on salt.*
What This Wine Is NOT
This is not a single-varietal Merlot. It is not a Garnatxa. It is not a heavily oaked red.
This wine is:
- Two origins unified — Vilobí Merlot + Verdú Garnatxa
- A table wine — built to be consumed with food, not contemplated alone
- A single barrel — 200 L, 266 bottles, no more
- A precision biodynamic expression — the protocol applied across regional and methodological difference
Emotional Target
When you open this bottle with a plate of cured meats, aged sheep cheese, or roasted root vegetables, the wine should feel like a late-summer evening at a Mediterranean table — bright, savory, structured, with the saline thread of the sea somewhere at the very end.
The wine exists because two regions were honored by one protocol. The drinker does not need to know the chemistry to feel the integration, but knowing it changes what "integration" means.
Chemical Correlates
| Sensory target | Chemical source | File |
|---|---|---|
| Bright savory acidity | TA 5.8 g/L, pH 3.25 (Acid Shield preserved through aging) | chemical_analysis.json |
| Round mid-palate flesh | Merlot from Vilobí del Penedès | protocol_followed.md §Phase 1 |
| Glycerol weight, fruit body | Garnatxa from Verdú | protocol_followed.md §Phase 1 |
| Soft polymerized tannins | 9 months passive microoxygenation through neutral oak | protocol_followed.md §Phase 2 |
| No oak flavor | Neutral barrel — no extractive capacity | chemical_analysis.json |
| Dried herbs / garrigue | Garnatxa's Mediterranean signature | protocol_followed.md §Phase 1 |
| Long finish | Tannin-anthocyanin polymerization; saline thread preserved | protocol_followed.md §Phase 3 |
| Saline / limestone signature | Vilobí and Penedès calcareous soils | region_description.md |
The Two-Region Story
Vilobí del Penedès and Verdú are distinct origins and distinct viticultural contexts. Vilobí carries both biodynamic and regenerative labels — biodynamic principles for the annual rhythm, regenerative practices for soil biology over time. Verdú is precision biodynamic in the protocol's standard sense.
This is the only wine in the 2025 portfolio that crosses both regional and methodological boundaries within a single bottle. The protocol is what unifies them: the same Acid Shield, the same co-fermentation, the same 9-month barrel aging, applied to two different wines from two different places.
Pairing Notes (for the trade)
The wine's structure — high acidity, savory Mediterranean depth, soft polymerized tannins — pairs naturally with:
- Cured meats — jamón ibérico, salumi, saucisson sec. The salt in the meat mirrors the wine's saline thread
- Aged sheep and goat cheeses — Manchego, Garrotxa, Pecorino. The aged character of the cheese matches the wine's depth
- Roasted root vegetables — caramelized onions, roasted peppers, slow-roasted tomatoes
- Mediterranean stews — anything with rosemary, thyme, and slow-cooked lamb
- Mushroom dishes — the umami of the mushroom amplifies the wine's savory depth
- NOT delicate fish, fresh salads, or anything where the wine's structure would dominate
*Intention documented: June 2025* *Source: protocols/protocol_ES 3.pdf — Proyecto 3 (Nov 2025) + Merlot2_es.pdf (Oct 2025) + Analysis_Holobiont.pdf*