José Peñín highly values the challenge and success it means making a white wine such as Finca La Terrenal in an extreme Mediterranean climate:
“Thanks to garnacha blanca I discovered the high values of Southern white wines mostly the more “Mediterranean” ones from D.O. Terra Alta. They do stand out because of their volume, a certain sweetness due to alcohol which is nicely-balanced with acidity, and a remembrance of Mediterranean forest with dry stone and garrigue aromas. More amazing is the touch of hydrocarbon, as German Rieslings show, that keeps growing as garnacha blanca wines age, such a rare nuance.
All these feelings I had with Edetària La Terrenal, whose 2016 vintage has been stoked with “96 points” by Guía Peñín cautious tasting team shortlisting the wine on top of dry Mediterranean wines at Guía Peñín 2021. By Mediterranean wines I am talking about grape varietals such as xarello, merseguera, moscatel and, of course, garnacha blanca. And this is not just their opinion which I totally share, Jancis Robinson so renowned and so judicious rated La Terrenal 18/20 points which equates to 95 points.
My tip is offering La Terrenal to every winelover who falls for Rhone whites. I am sure that La Terrenal –“the earthy one”-, although not being the Paradise, it will certainly be a “heavenly” surprise to him.”
José Peñín, July 30th 2020.