La Rural Ull de Llebre 2022
LaRuraL
Brothers Andreu Padró and Xavi Padró started making wine under the name LaRuraL in 2018. Their family had been farming grapes and other produce in Santes Creus, Tarragona on their organically certified farm in the Alt Camp for four generations but had never sold their own wine. Xavi and Andreu fell in love with the vibrant natural wine scene in Catalunya and decided to make wines in the basement of the family home, leaving their careers in architecture and mechanics. From the beginning, the goal was to make fresh, light, natural wines without sulfur. Initially, they worked with an enologist, but, unhappy with the results, they decided to look to the winemakers whose wines they admired, like Oriol Artigas, Laureano Serres, and others for inspiration and education. Now, they work with stainless steel tanks, some barrels, and short, infusion-style macerations. The palindromic name, LaRural, honors their connection to the rural environment, and also (by using the feminine article La) their mother, who was the primary caretaker of the family’s vineyards before Xavi and Andreu took over.