IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Perelada
Wines from the Empordà, forged by the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean
The beating heart of Empordà
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Discovering the wines of Perelada is much more than a tasting journey. It is a deep plunge into the history and stories of an estate whose cultural relevance goes well beyond its viticultural heritage.
It’s not often that the wines presented at a tasting are merely the tip of the iceberg; an important yet small expression of the history of an estate whose origins date back to the 14th century. Attendees at the session hosted at Decanter’s Tasting Suite in May 2026 quickly realised that in their glasses was just a chapter of a much bigger narrative.
'On Perelada Castle’s grounds is also, today, a winery designed by the Pritzker-winning RCR Architects that has set a new benchmark for mindful design and sustainability'
Delfí Sanahuja, technical manager and winemaker, Perelada
PHOTOS: LOLA GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHY (event photos) & BODEGAS perelada (all other photos)
Published Wednesday 24th June 2026
Acquired in 1923 by the Mateu family, and now with third-generation Javier Suqué at the helm, Perelada has evolved as a viticultural and cultural hub at the heart of Empordà.
The original fortified structure and Carmelite monastery houses an impressive art collection and historical library with more than 100,000 volumes including illuminated Gothic manuscripts.
It is also home to a Michelin-starred restaurant and a five-star hotel, wine spa and golf course. Since the 1960s the Castle has hosted the Festival Castell de Peralada, today one of Europe’s leading classical music and dance festivals.
The grounds of Perelada Castle are also now home to a winery designed by the Pritzker-winning RCR Architects that has set a new benchmark for mindful design and sustainability. The first winery in Europe to be granted the LEED Gold certification for outstanding environmental performance, it blends seamlessly with the historical buildings and the surrounding landscape while giving the winemaking team more room for experimentation and precision winemaking.
Continuity and connection
Precision and relentless attention to detail are the hallmarks of the work of Perelada’s chief winemaker, Delfí Sanahuja, whose insight is both technically exact and warmingly heartfelt. The award-winning winemaker has been at the helm of the estate’s wine programme since 1993 and his professional and personal trajectory are woven into the evolution of Perelada’s vineyards and wines.
Alongside Javier Suqué, Sanahuja developed the Perelada wine collection for the past three decades, allowing it to evolve as their knowledge of the land and of the five different estates that are now part of the Perelada portfolio gained focus and depth.
Continuity has enabled continuous improvement and innovation. As Sanahuja pointed out during the session ‘the advantage of doing the same wines for so many years is that we learn about what we shouldn’t do as much as about what we are doing right. I’ve learnt a lot – perhaps mostly – from my mistakes.’
Learning and evolving
For Sanahuja, one of the key learnings, over the years, is trusting increasingly in the character and potential of each plot, allowing it to express the particular affinity with a given grape variety and winemaking approach. This detail- and terroir-focused philosophy was on full display during the Decanter comparative tasting of two vintages of Perelada’s flagship wine, Finca Garbet.
Sanahuja’s team opened the estate’s library to pour the wine’s first vintage, 2001, alongside its latest release, 2021. It is not often that, while tasting the same wine 20 vintages apart, the winemaker presenting is responsible for both – it made for a particularly fascinating exercise in which Sanahuja humbly discussed his learnings and setbacks while also basking in the remarkable evolution of the 2001.
Longevity, however, is not seen as an end in itself. Rather, Sanahuja explained, it is a byproduct of the structure and depth that the team at Perelada seek for each of their wines. Both traits are, according to him, the very essence of Empordà: a region of contrasting, complementary influences that yield fruit of nuanced concentration balanced by vibrant acid.
With some vines growing a mere 20m from the Mediterranean and others nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees, the grapes benefit from (and endure) the intense light and moody Tramontana wind. As Sanahuja highlighted, the Empordà is a place where all elements are vividly present – Perelada’s wines harness them in all their beauty and power.
Aires de Garbet 2022
A selection of the best Garnacha from the Garbet estate - an amphitheatre-like vineyard, growing on slate soils, open to the Mediterranean and tousled by the Tramuntana wind - this wine has an incredible sense of place and remarkable balance, in a successful game of contrasts.
Winemaker Delfí Sanahuja says that Garbet is an estate where all elements are vividly present; this character translates into incredible intensity and definition with aromas of red fruit, rosemary, thyme and violets intricately woven. Alcohol and wood are superbly integrated and the wine comes forward with surprising softness and freshness, the fine, herbal tannins carrying the fleshy cherry, plum and ripe strawberry with elegance and ease. Long, fluid finish with lingering salinity and sour cherry freshness.
Alcohol 15% | Drink 2027-2040
Tasting Notes
Finca Garbet 2021
The 20th vintage of Finca Garbet reflects a journey of exploration that culminated in the full, deep confidence in the potential of the estate's Syrah to produce a single-varietal wine that truly captures the essence of the place. The muscular elegance and nuanced intensity seen here backs this proposition. A bed of blueberries, blackberries and black olive tapenade is topped with abundant Parma violets, black pepper and cocoa powder. Fine yet intense tannins, support the luscious core of ripe cherry and juicy plum. Bright acid and fragrant herbal notes add fluidity and levity. Still a bit coiled this has a long time ahead of it and will benefit from time in bottle.
Alc 14.5% | Drink 2026-2048
Garrigal Vinyes Velles 2023
Deep, intense Carignan hailing from 60- to 80-year-old vines, grown on sandy and gravel soils, from Perelada's La Garriga estate.
Mindful use of oak frames the fruit's inherent structure without claiming centre stage. Nuanced nose of cherry, cranberry and plum, cloaked in dried wild flowers, with pepper, cardamom and nutmeg sprinkled abundantly. Lovely, intriguing tension on the palate, with the fleshy fruit core and muscular tannins balanced by lively acid and a zesty rim. Long finish with lingering spice and smokiness.
Alc 13.5% | Drink 2028-2040
Efímer Monastrell 2022
Truly idiosyncratic expression of Monastrell, part of a collection of limited releases that, each vintage, hones in on specific vineyards and winemaking approaches. It dances in the glass with aromas of cranberry, pomegranate and maraschino cherry, topped with aniseed, wild fennel and dried rose petals. Focused and fresh on the palate, with mineral tannins, finely structured and coated in seaspray, backed by a firm acid backbone. Long tail of oregano and sage.
A Monastrell with a truly Mediterranean soul.
Alc 14% | Drink 2026-2032
Finca Garbet 2001
Although perhaps past its prime, it's a remarkable experience to taste the inaugural vintage of Finca Garbet 20 years on. It retains remarkable vividness and fluidity. While the nose is dominated by tertiary notes of tobacco, leather, dried Mediterranean herbs, fig and sweet spice, the palate surprises with bright cranberry, cherry and pomegranate still flowing under prune, chocolate and Turkish coffee. Finishes with a long tail of Earl Grey and fig leaf. Alc 15.6% | Drink 2026-2028
5 Finques Tinto 2021
This complex, harmonic blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Cabernet Franc, hailing from Perelada's five estates ('5 Finques') across Empordà, aims to capture the multiple dimensions and varied potential of the region. It does just that, layering Mediterranean herbs, luscious fruit, herbaceous details of roasted pepper and blueberry leaf and sweet spice. All against a background of toast, supported by assertive, smoky tannins. Balsamic freshness lends freshness and length.
Alc 14.5% | Drink 2026-2034
Només Garnatxa Negre 2025
Lovely purity and lift in this energetic, approachable Garnacha marrying mountainous and maritime influences for fluidity and energetic lift. The crunchy cherry, plum and cranberry is sprinkled with thyme, oregano and sage and rimmed with salty liquorice. Characterful and supremely drinkable.
Alc 13.5% | Drink 2026-2028
Obsequí de l’Empordà 2021
Smart blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Garnacha Blanca and Garnacha Gris leveraging the character of each variety for a complementary, balanced whole.
The richness of the fleshy orchard fruit is offset by zesty citrus and assertive acid backbone. Green papaya, Asian pear and quince, with a rim of lime zest, fill the palate. A gentle briny detail adds appealing salinity.
Just so delicious, interesting and fresh.
Alc 13% | Drink 2026-2028
Només Garnatxa Blanca 2025 Round and generous, this Garnacha Blanca fills the mouth with luscious, smooth pear, roasted pineapple, quince and yellow apple. Apple blossom, rose petals and jasmine hover elegantly, while a creamy flow of lemon curd adds both zestiness and unctuosity.
Alc 12.5% | Drink 2026-2027
Discover more: perelada.com/en/home
Perelada's Delfí Sanahuja and Ines Salpico Decanter regional editor for Spain, Portugal and South America
