Raul Bobet, once the chief winemaker at Torres, is a legendary figure in Spanish wine. Driven by climate concerns, he planted vineyards at 1,000 meters in the Pyrenees, producing Riesling, Semillon, and Pinot Noir that showcase a refined side of Spain.
Castell d’Encus lies in Talarn, Catalonia, beside 12th‑century stone cellars carved by monks. Bobet combines these ancient methods with modern techniques, powering the winery sustainably with geothermal energy. His philosophy is to preserve freshness, elegance, and complexity.
Raul is also deeply interested in philosophy and meditation, and he names his wines either in Sanskrit or after the places where the grapes grow. Ekam means divine unity in Sanskrit.
His guiding principle is simple: “Fresh, fine, elegant, complex wines of exceptional quality — crafted with minimum intervention, where the vineyard and grapes take the leading role.”
His philosophy may seem simple, but it demands meticulous care in vineyard and cellar, backed by a skilled team able to craft wines that inspire even under unpredictable weather. Today, Castell d’Encus stands among Spain’s most exciting wineries on the global stage.
Country of Origin: Catalonia, Spain
Type: White/Blanc (Still)
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon
Vinification 80% of the wine was fermented in small, 25hl and 6hl tanks. 20% of the wine was fermented in new French oak barrels with some lees stirring during ageing. This wine was aged in bottle for at least 5 months.
Tasting Notes: (Robert Parker's rating: 93 points) 2018 was a cooler year, and the 2018 Taleia is less ripe and has less alcohol and more acidity than the 2017 I tasted next to it. It's pale, young, shy, clean and focused and has a sharp palate with some bitter flavors and vibrant acidity. This feels undeveloped, very primary, in need of some bottle age. It's very tasty and makes you salivate. 17,700 bottles and 190 magnums were filled in June 2019.
