Tomàs Cusiné Skin Contact Macabeu

Tomàs Cusiné Skin Contact Macabeu

Grapes — 100% Macabeu

Region — Costers del Segre, Les Garrigues, Catalonia, Spain

Tasting Notes — Glowing amber-gold with a warm luminosity. Bright orange blossom, citrus zest, and bruised apple on the nose, with exotic spice and a whisper of dried apricot underneath. The palate is lifted and textured — lively and aromatic, with a mid-palate grip from the skin contact that adds complexity without weight, and a long, evolving finish that opens further in the glass. Tempered and elegant for an orange wine, with a refinement that belies the ancient technique behind it.

The Wine — 100% Macabeu from organically farmed vineyards at 730 meters elevation in El Vilosell — the highest altitude wine-growing zone in the southern half of Catalonia — on sandy loam soils over limestone and gravel that give the wines their characteristic freshness and mineral precision. A "brisat" — the ancient Catalan term for a white wine macerated and fermented on its skins — reviving a traditional winemaking method that was largely abandoned in the region over the course of the 20th century. Part of Tomàs Cusiné's Microvinificació series, this wine represents his most experimental and personal expression: very limited production, minimal intervention, and a commitment to preserving what this particular variety and terroir have to say without interference. Just 10 days on the skins — enough to extract aromatic complexity and textural depth without overwhelming the wine's natural elegance.

Farming — Certified organic across all 30 hectares of estate vineyards. Tomàs Cusiné completed a full transition to organic farming and has since moved toward biodynamic practices at the estate in El Vilosell. No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. The high-altitude Mediterranean climate — hot days, cold nights, constant breeze — naturally limits disease pressure and concentrates the character of the fruit.

Winemaking — Hand harvested, destemmed, fermented and macerated on skins with native estate yeasts for approximately 10 days. Fermented and aged in a large French oak foudre for several months before bottling. No added sulfites in the natural expression of this wine — or minimal at most, depending on vintage. Verified with your rep for the specific bottle you're carrying. Part of a microvinification series produced in tiny quantities — each bottle a deliberate act of research, recovery, and expression.

The Producer — Tomàs Cusiné is one of the most respected and quietly influential winemakers in Catalonia — a figure who has spent over 40 vintages mapping, understanding, and championing the high mountain terroir of Les Garrigues. He began his career at the family estate Castell del Remei in 1985, founded Cérvoles Celler in 1997, and in 2003 established the winery that bears his name in the village of El Vilosell. Recognized internationally as one of Spain's foremost experts in wine assemblage, he has planted 17 different grape varieties across his mountain estates, farming all of them organically and pushing increasingly toward biodynamic practices. The Microvinificació series is where his spirit of research lives most freely — small quantities, ancestral techniques, native varieties, maximum transparency. This Macabeu Brisat is the series' most ancient expression: a white wine made the way Catalan farmers made it for centuries, before modern winemaking decided skin contact was only for red wines.

Drink It With — Grilled prawns with romesco, aged Manchego, charcuterie, roasted chicken with herbs, or anything that rewards a wine with texture, history, and genuine depth of character.