Pomagrana Blanco
Fredi Torres took an unlikely route into wine — from the Swiss nightlife scene to the vineyards of Catalunya — and with his partner Mark Lecha he founded Lectores Vini in 2013. Pomagrana Blanco is one of their most charming wines: a natural white from the Garraf hills near Cubelles, with the vines sitting just four kilometres from the Mediterranean.
It's made from two of Catalunya's great white grapes, Xarel·lo and Macabeo, off 40-year-old vines rooted in limestone and ringed by Mediterranean forest. The winemaking is deliberately hands-off: wild-yeast fermentation in stainless steel, then six months resting on its fine lees in tank — no oak, nothing to get in the way of the fruit and the place.
The result is bright and aromatic. Expect apple and a little honey on the nose, with almond and a lift of tropical fruit and white flowers. The palate is light and juicy, textured from that lees ageing, with the low alcohol and easy freshness that make it dangerously drinkable. There's a saltiness to it too — that sea-breeze influence coming through. This is a wine for pleasure rather than pondering, and it does that job beautifully.
How to Serve
Serve chilled at 9–11°C in a standard white wine glass. Drink it young and fresh; no need to decant, though a little air rounds it out.
Where to Drink It
Barrafina, for Catalan plates and a lively list. Planque in Haggerston, for a low-intervention glass. Sabor in Mayfair, for grilled seafood by the sea's flavour, if not its shore.
Food Pairings
Try it with grilled prawns, a plate of jamón, or fresh anchovies on toast. It's also a lovely aperitif on a warm evening.
