Every now and then, a wine comes along that isn’t quite what it should be. There’s nothing wrong with it. This is an utterly delicious wine, it’s just not what we’ve been trained to expect from crisp Catalan rosé. Looking at this pale, organically farmed and proudly Catalan wine, we don’t expect the sheer weight and intensity of this Garnatxa Rosat. The wine announces itself with aromas of strawberry whipped cream, fresh tilled, sun baked soil, Rainier cherry, kiwi, basil and a dash of pepper. The palate is lush – dry, but lush – with strawberries and whipped cream, peach, and savory herbs. There may be no finer wine for classic salmon, for light pork loin dishes, stuffed tomatoes, or ratatouille. The name Acustic is a reference to acoustic guitars versus electric, which is to say winemaker Albert Jané is dedicated to old traditions, native varieties, and homespun, hands-on viticulture. The vines for this wine are up to 50 years old in clay, sand, and Llicorella soils amongst the mountains of Montsant, and only 20% of the wine is aged in oak; enough to provide that layer of creaminess, but not enough to chip away at the fruit. Balance is the most important quality in a wine, but there are a number of places to find balance.