Pansal del Calàs

Tasting note:

Very dark, almost black with blueish-violet shades  and high viscosity; An enormous flavour concentration, based on very ripe seductive dark fruits like roasted aromas of plums, cassis and dark cherries combined with currant, toasty, coffee, mokka aromas. It shows a perfect harmony of alcohol and lively acidity full bodied, ripe and rich tannins and a lovely sweet mouthfeeling:  The secret of this wine is it´s perfect sugar balance and focus on red wine. It never feels sticky sweet nor tiring!

Food pairing: 

The relatively low sugar level (compared to other Sweet Reds like Banyuls or Port) allows to have this wine even with main courses like roasted beef, game, roasted duck, stews, Steak, oxtrail, or smoked fois gras... and any kind of bitter flavours like coffee, nuts, bitter chocolate, smooky, toasty aromas...and fresh and mature cheeses...and simply by itself...or as a good Port with a cigarre.

Grape varieties: 

70% Garnacha
- 40% Garnacha del Pais (catalan, indigenous Klon)
- 30% Garnacha Peluda („hairy“ leaves; imported from Southern France after Phylloxera
30% Samsó (Cariñena)

On the 10-15th day of fermentation (at a moment the fermented must contains around 12% Alc.) it was halt with the addition of high percentage (96%) rectified grape alcohol retaining a natural sweetness of 70-80 g/l, and fortified up to the 16,5%Alc.
both varieties were vinified together in stainless steel tanks
temperature controlled fermentation (27-29ºC; indegenous yeast)
mazeration: 24 days
it´s not cold stabilized, light filtration
no finning

otally 18-24 months aged in French oak barrels
first 3 months aged in 3-6 years old barrels; 1 racking
and later on another 12-18 months in new and one year old barrels (228l); Allier and Never; light and medium toasted; no  racking
after barrel assemblage aged for a minimum of 3months in tank before bottling

small plots of old Garnacha and Cariñena bush vines (40-85 years old)
terroir: clay, granit; very mineral; two plots of slate
slopes and terrases
altitude: 200-550m

late harvest: mid/end of october
by hand in 20kg boxes, and later on hand sorted
yield: 250 to 1000g per vine
20hl/ha (Garnacha); 25hl/ha (Cariñena )

16,5 % vol. Alcohol
5,5 g/l acidity (tartaric)
75 g/l residual sugar

5.000 to 8.000 bottles (50cl.)

"Guía Peñín" de los vinos de españa 2013, Spain:

  • "Pansal del Calàs 2008" 90p Color cereza, borde granate. Aroma fruta madura, fruta al licor, chocolate, cacao fino, especias dulces, tostado. Boca potente, sabroso, largo, equilibrado.

“The Wine Advocate”, Robert Parker, USA:

  • “Pansal del Calas 2008”: 92 p "Celler Capcanes produces a fortified wine called Pansal del Calas. The 2008 Pansal del Calas is a blend of 70% Garnacha and 30% Carinena aged for 18 months in a mix of new and used French oak. The wine is fermented to 12% alcohol and fortified to 16 %. It is a medium-sweet, dense elixir with a powerful, Port-like character. Rating: 92 points; Drink - ; Est. cost: $35; WA, nº 194, May 2011"
  • "Pansal del Calas 1996”: 94 p "A taste of the 1996 Pansal del Calas (the first vintage of this cuvee) reveals that the wine is capable of evolving in the style of a quality Port. It exhibits an aged character in both its appearance and flavor profile. The wine is lengthy, complex, and a fine way to end a meal. Rating: 94 points; Drink - ; Est. cost: - ; WA, nº 194, May 2011"
  • Pansal del Calas´97”: 93 p

“Flüssiges Gold von Paula Bosch”, Genuss, Set 2012: Germany: Pansal del Calàs... a new star in the Spain sweet wine’s history… Celler de Capçanes, nowadays the best cooperative in Spain…

Wine Magazine“Perswijn”, Netherlands:

  • “Pansal del Calas´03”: 16 p

Wine-guide “Mondo-Weine der Welt”, Germany:

  • “Pansal del Calas´03”: 91 p

Wine Guide “Guia Jose Penin”, Spain:

  • ” Pansal d Calas´05: 92 p
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