SPAIN

Loacted in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia – in the heart of Penedés region, Maria Casanovas winery was created in 1984 by the youngest generation of the Casanovas Carafi family. The trio of siblings Jordi, Jacint and Rosa farm 10 hectares of their own vines planted between Vall de Bitlles and the Anoia river basin. They supplement their crop with proportion of grapes bought from the local farmers, with whom they have long established, trust based relationship. The focus here is on native varieties: Xarel. lo, Macabeu, Parellada, while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are incorporated  in some of the blends. 2020 marks the first year their sparkling wines are fully certified organic.

Raventós i Blanc is an estate with an extraordinarily long history. It was founded in 1497 and since then, 21 generations of the Raventós family have worked

on the 100-hectare estate. They cultivate local grape varieties and follow biodynamic practices. The family’s commitment to biodynamic agriculture is based on a strong desire to maintain a sustainable and self-suficient estate. This result is a diversity of flora and rich underground life that gives a living and structured soil.

CELLER PARDAS, RAMON PARERA&JORDI ARNAN, DO PENEDÉS

ENRIC SOLER, DO  PENEDÉS

Cal Raspallet wines are the brainchild of former sommelier Enric Soler. We supply two wines from this winery, Nun and Improvisacio. Nun draws on a singular 2.5-acre plot of Xarel-lo vines which are over 60 years old. The yields are kept low and in 2013 only 250 cases of Nun were produced in order to achieve a great fruit concentration. Improvisacio comes from a 1.3 hectare plot and the vines are between 40 and 65 years old. 589 cases of Improvisacio were produced in 2013. This wine has a lively acidity and as such is very refreshing on the palate. Both wines are matured in small French oak barrels. The vineyards are cultivated organically and this is integral to the philosophy of Cal Raspallet wines. Their vision is to produce wines that reveal the special features of the Xarel·lo grape variety and capture the full personality and characteristics of the Penedés region.

It all started in 2000, when Eben Sadie and Dominik Huber first met at Mas Martinet. In 2001 they have bottled their first wine- Dits del terra and relocated the project to the Torroja del Priorat, a tiny village with roughly 100 inhabitants. From here they started exploring the area further, working with small plots of old Crignan and Garnache and fine tuning their unique approach to winemaking. The aim was to make vibrant and expressive wines, echoing the Priorat of the past. Although the two friends parted their ways in 2011, Dominik continues the work they have started, achieving new hights with every vintage. Joined by a young oenologist Tatjana Peceric, he has chosen to go one step further on the path to purity... Recently they have sold most of the oak foudre and plan to age their wines solely in concrete vats. The grapes are always fermented with full clusters and very gentle extraction follows suit. In addition to the exquisite Terroir al Limit range, Dominik also makes two wines under “Terroir Historic” label. This new “add-on project” is based in recently restored “Cooperativa” building in the heart of Torroja.

The Clos Mogador winery is located in the village of Gratallops. Established in 1982, it is owned by René Barbier, one of Priorat’s Renaissance pioneers. In the late 70s these pioneers arrived and introduced French varietals and modern winemaking techniques. This led to the production of small quantities of exceptional wines, resulting in the promotion of Priorat to DOC status, the highest wine category in Spain. The Clos Mogador winery consists of 13 hectares. Six hectares of 80 year old Cariñena vines, two hectares of 6 year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, three hectares of 6 year old Garnacha vines and the final two hectares are of 6 year old Sirah vines Making wine  in this region is a labour of love. Vineyards have to be worked manually and yields are very low. The steep sloped hills are often terraced, and soils consist mainly of shale. The deep roots of the vines penetrate the cracks in search of water during the dry summer months. The Siruana, a tributary of the famous Ebro, crosses the area diagonally and is fed by the mountain streams giving the narrow valleys a green appearance.

PORTAL DEL PRIORAT&VINS NUNS, ALFREDO ARRIBAS, DOCa   PRIORAT, DO MONTSANT

Portal del Priorat is located between the villages of Lloar and el Molar. The estate has 40 hectares with 15 hectares of vineyards running from the banks of the Siurana river to the Montsant foothills. Since 2001, little by little, the old, abandoned terraced plots known as “costers” have been restored. Following an advanced model of organic viticulture, the vines were replanted with high density, taking into consideration the characteristics of the Licorrella slate soil and the various aspects of the terrain. Only red wines are produced, in which the indigenous grape varieties of Garnatxa and Carinyena predominate, combined with adapted grapes: Syrah, and the Cabernets. The property is home to some of the oldest vines in the Priorat region.