Garnatxa Blanca, Montmell Mountains (Baix Penedes) 750ml

The 2025 Garnatxa Blanca from Montmell Mountains lands in this year's lineup as a fresh-vintage white built on Garnacha Blanca grown in the Baix Penedes, the warmer, Mediterranean-facing stretch of Penedes closer to the coast than the region's better-known cava country. That proximity to the sea matters here: Garnacha Blanca ripens readily in this heat, but the Montmell hills give enough elevation and diurnal swing to keep the grape from turning flabby, which is the usual risk with this variety when it's grown somewhere too warm. What you get in the glass is a white with real texture — Garnacha Blanca tends toward a waxy, almost lanolin-like weight on the palate, and this 2025 bottling leans into that, balanced by the orchard fruit and citrus pith you'd want from a grape that can otherwise go soft. Expect notes of ripe pear, a touch of fennel or anise on the finish, and enough acid structure to keep it from feeling heavy, even with that richer mid-palate. It's a style that rewards a slight chill rather than an ice-bucket serve — you want the texture to show, not disappear. This is a wine for people who find typical crisp, stainless-steel whites a little thin and want something with more presence without going full oxidative or skin-contact. Pour it alongside grilled sardines or other oily fish, a classic Catalan calçots-style charred vegetable spread, roast chicken with lemon and herbs, or a hard sheep's milk cheese like Manchego. It's also a solid match for richer seafood preparations — think shrimp in garlic and olive oil — where a thinner white would get lost. If you're building out a Penedes section or just chasing something from Garnacha Blanca beyond the usual Priorat-adjacent suspects, this is worth having in rotation. We've got it in stock at Off Premise, and it's the kind of bottle that overperforms its price point once people actually taste it.