La RuralXavi i Andreu Padró
Xavi and Andreu Padró make natural skin-maceration wines in Santes Creus, a medieval village in the heart of the Alt Camp (Tarragona). All the vineyards are in the Riu Gaià Valley, between 284 and 422 metres altitude, on silt-clay soils and river stones. Almost forgotten native varieties —Vinyater, Sumöll— live alongside classics of the inland Penedès. No additives, spontaneous fermentation, minimal intervention.
La Rural's vineyards spread between Santes Creus, Vila-Rodona and L'Albà, three villages of the Riu Gaià Valley in the Alt Camp. The plots range from the 284 metres of Vila-Rodona to the 422 metres of L'Albà, all on silt-clay soils with variable presence of river stones. The exposure varies from plot to plot (N-S, SE, E-W), which allows the harvest time and ripeness of each variety to be adjusted precisely.
- All the vineyards, by hand: hand harvest and grape selection in the vineyard
- Destemming + maceration in stainless-steel tank for all varieties
- Spontaneous fermentation at 21°C with native yeasts, no inoculation
- Skin maceration variable by variety and colour: from 4 hours (rosé) to 5 days (orange)
- Ageing in stainless steel, fibreglass or fibre tank depending on the wine
- No oenological additives, no filtration, no fining
La Rural makes skin-maceration wines: even the whites spend some time in contact with the skins to gain complexity, texture and ageing capacity without the need for additives. The commitment to native varieties is deliberate: Vinyater (53 years, almost extinct) and Sumöll (56 years, from L'Albà at 422 m) represent the ampelographic memory of the Alt Camp. The names of the wines —Garnatx@ Ros@da, Ull de Llebr3— reflect a contemporary visual identity over a background of deep viticulture.
The Alt Camp is a Tarragona region presided over by the monastery of Santes Creus, one of the great Cistercian complexes of Catalonia. The Riu Gaià Valley, which crosses the region, creates a dry-farmed Mediterranean microclimate tempered by altitude: hot summers, but cool nights that lengthen ripening and preserve acidity. A territory of ancient viticulture, with varieties such as Sumöll and Vinyater surviving in family plots. La Rural works this heritage with an artisan outlook and without a DO.
The collection at Terroir Radical
56-year-old Sumoll planted in L'Albà, La Rural's highest point: 422 metres, east-west exposure, pure silt-clay soil. Two days of maceration, spontaneous fermentation, stainless steel. The fullest-bodied, deepest red in the collection.
Light cherry-red colour. Nose of raspberries, sour cherries, red flowers and minerals. Light, lively palate, marked acidity and fine tannins. The Alt Camp Sumoll in a version blending three vintages (2021, 2022, 2023) to capture the continuity of the terroir. 12.26% well-integrated alcohol. A singular variety of the Penedès and the Alt Camp.
An old-style claret: 80% white Macabeo co-fermented with Sumoll and Garnacha in a three-day joint maceration. Rosy-copper colour, neither white nor red. Three plots between 316 and 408 metres. 10.31%, light and full of life.
Light red, almost pink and transparent. Nose of red fruit, flowers and minerals. Delicate, very fresh palate, light-bodied, lively acidity, 10.3% alcohol. A claret in the classic sense: between white and red. La Rural blends white Macabeo (80%) with black Sumoll and Ull de Llebre. Xavi and Andreu Padró, fifth generation of grape growing in the Alt Camp.
Pale yellow colour. Discreet, elegant nose of white flowers, green apple and stony notes. Fine, light, very fresh palate with marked acidity and a mineral finish. The Alt Camp Parellada made with minimal intervention by La Rural. No additives or filtration.
Golden-yellow colour. Intense, perfumed nose of roses, jasmine, lemonade and tropical fruit. Aromatic, soft, persistent palate. The Muscat of Alexandria of the Alt Camp made by La Rural with the minimum possible intervention. A wine to drink and enjoy without complications.
Pale yellow colour with greenish reflections. Nose of aromatic herbs, fennel, green apple and dry-stone notes. Very light, fresh palate. Vinyater is a native variety of the Tarragona area, almost disappeared. La Rural recovers it and vinifies it naturally, without additives.
Golden-yellow colour with deep golden hues. Nose of tropical fruit, yellow flowers and honey. Generous, aromatic, long palate. Malvasia de Sitges is a native variety of Sitges, very rare and with history. La Rural vinifies it naturally, without additives or filtration.
Bright salmon colour. Nose of strawberries, raspberries and wildflowers. Fresh, light, vibrant palate with marked acidity and a clean finish. The Garnatxa Rosada of the Alt Camp made by La Rural with the minimum possible intervention. No additives, no filtration.
Clean cherry-red colour. Nose of cherries, plums and soft spices. Light palate with fine tannins and fresh acidity. The Alt Camp Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo) made by La Rural with minimal intervention. A low-alcohol, elegant, direct red. No additives or filtration.
Editorial note
I met Xavi at the Natural Wine Fair in Valencia. He came recommended by a good friend from Vila-real, and they were very right. When I tried La Rural's wines I understood at once: fantastic, expressive, fresh wines, you could almost feel you are eating the fruit directly, such is the freshness and life they convey. Frank, direct, from the sun and the land of Santes Creus without any intermediary. They had to be in TR.
— Terroir Radical