Visiting Mendall

Laureano Serres produces natural wine in the remote town of El Pinall de Brai, high up in the area of Terra Alta which is part of the Tarragona region in southern Catalunya. He is considered a pioneer in his field and his winery Mendall is of legendary status. His first vintage was in 1999 and he went on to be a founding member of the Brutal!!! wine movement before starting the H2O Vegetal wine fair in Barcelona.

On a recent trip to Catalunya, I got in touch and asked if we could pay him a visit. He was more than happy to accommodate us! We arrived the day before in the city of Tarragona, a place close to my heart, mainly because of the one-of-a-kind Bar Cortijo. This is a tiny, rustic bar down by the port, run by the iconic brothers Santi & Lluis Masegosa. They only open for breakfast and lunch and offer up absolutely delicious plates of traditional, local cuisine along with glasses of natural wine (even at 8am!). Santi opens a different bottle each time and walks around the bar pouring into everyone's glasses. You get what you're given and in the process discover local producers you have not have come across before. It's absolutely awesome and always a bargain. I love it so much that I took 20 of my friends there for my 40th birthday a couple of years ago. This time, we went for lunch and went back for breakfast the next morning. Only one glass of wine with migas, eggs and chorizo as Santi warns us we are going to drink a lot of wine when we visit Laureano.

(Catedral del Vi, El Pinall de Brai)

An hour's drive up into Terra Alta and we arrive in the village of El Pinall de Brai. The impressive Cathedral of Wine (Catedral del Vi), built by disciples of Gaudi, stands proudly in centre of town. This previously housed the local wine co-operative but is now used for a restaurant. Just a stone's throw away is the Mendall cellar. Laureano and Alicia greet us so warmly and we feel immediately welcomed. 

(Laureano outside his cellar)

(Alicia & Laureano in the cellar)

I love the tasting set up - There are racks of vinyl, various posters from wine fairs and photos of friends. The shelves are adorned with bottles gifted from other natural winemakers who have come to visit as well as old Mendall vintages. Alicia talks us through where the various vineyards are located using local maps whilst Laureano proudly looks on. As we start to taste the wines to the sound of Velvet Underground & Nico, the pair reminisce over the recent harvest and laugh about Alicia's mother's love for the Moscatel grape variety. 

(Laureano selecting records whilst Alicia presents the wines)

It becomes clear that whilst Laureano is the easy, free-wheeling, philosophical energy at Mendall, Alicia is bringing more of a considered, calculated mindset to the project after her time studying Oenology in nearby Tarragona. I think it's cool that out of these two different approaches from two different generations of the Serres family, will undoubtedly come balance. Laureano insists that he wants Alicia to follow her own path even if its different to his and I really love that. 

We taste a lot of wines, vermouth and even Eau de Vie and chat for hours. Laureano's passion for life along with Alicia's positive energy are very inspiring. Up here in this remote town, its beautiful to see such creative people working together to build something special. The world of natural wine constantly gravitates towards new producers in the search for fresh experience which can be great. But this visit reminded me that we always need to return to the pioneers and that their wines should still be championed and cherished. Cheers Laureano & Alicia, I will treasure the memory!

We currently have the following Mendall wines in stock;

ABEURADOR 2022

Made from Laureano's best and oldest Macabeo vines that are located more than 400m above sea level, this is a powerful white wine with body and texture provided by a few days of skin contact. Great acidity and a hint of spritz keep things fresh and you are treated to a long, saline finish. A great reflection of this dry and rugged region. 

ESPARTAL BP 2022

Made from 100% Garnacha (the Spanish / Catalan name fro Grenache), this is a wild ride! Light in body and alcohol (11.5%) but big in dark fruits, black olives and brine with a sprinkling of Mediterranean herbs. Some volatile acidity brings extra chaos to the party. I showed this bottle at Wine Club last night and 90% of the crowd loved it. But one for the natural wine adventurers for sure. 

Happy drinking!