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Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Top Wine Producers In Catalonia's Hidden Gem, Conca De Barberà
Imma Soler of Mas de la Pansa, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography We're used to hearing wine regions called Valley Something and the rather odd-sounding Conca de Barberà is just that. It is the Barberà Valley, but in Catalan. It is also a designation of origin (DO), the Spanish version of appellation, located a bit over an hour's drive west of Barcelona. It is mainly know for its unusual grape trepat that almost only exists here producing fairly light red wines. But that's not their only grape. They also grow the traditional cava (Spanish sparkling wine) grapes like parellada and many others. The DO is only a few thousand hectares with less than thirty private cellars and a handful of cooperatives. In this article plus our previous one — Conca De Barberà, Catalonia's Hidden Wine Treasures — we give you the most notable names. Producers this article: Vins de Pedre/Marta Pedra Castell d'Or Celler Rendé Masdéu Mas de la Pansa Familia Torres Cellers Domenys In the previous article: Celler Carles Andreu Mas Josep Foraster Vidbertus You can also read my introduction to the region of Conca de Barberà: Trepat In Conca De Barbera, A Catalan Grape Variety In Tune With The Times. Marta Pedra's wine roots go back to her great-grandfather, an entrepreneur who made wine, started a distillery and was very successful in the export market. 'He managed the phylloxera crisis thanks to his trade with Argentina. He started importing wines from Argentina instead', says Marta. Marta's parents revived the winery in the 1980s, around the time Marta was born. And apparently, they inspired their daughter because Marta studied agriculture, and in 2002, she met Josep Serra, her partner, and they started their first wine project together, La Vinyeta. But Marta also wanted to do something with her family heritage. She started her own project in 2010, which she calls Vins de Pedra, making wines from her family's vineyards in Conca de Barberà. Marta's wines are skilfully made, but not only that, they also have plenty of personality. These are wines you remember. 40 % of the production is exported. Marta Pedra and Josep Serra i Pla of Vins de Pedra, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography The wines Picapedra Blanc 2023, Marta Pedra 100 % parellada. Late harvest, picking end of October. This is a very expressive Parellada. Marta has some skin contact in the press and ferments in stainless steel. With its hint of saltiness, this is a fresh, delicious wine. Picapedra Trepat, Marta Pedra Trepat is here blended with Garnacha. These varieties, says Marta, go very well together. The wine has a light red colour with aromas of red fruit, some spices, and a lovely freshness. Folls Blanc 2023, Vins de Pedra A creamy and enjoyable wine from Macabeu. Folls Negre 2024, Vins de Pedra A superb and very juicy blend of Garnacha and Trepat. L'Orni 2023, Vins de Pedra A blend of Chardonnay and Parellada. Only a small percentage goes into wood. Lovely mouthfeel and more tropical in the aromas. Trempat Negre 2023, Vins de Pedra There is a massive concentration of aromas in this Trepat wine. Marta does green harvest in July to ventilate the canopy and lower the risk of fungus. But it also reduces the yield. It is spicy, floral, elegant, and long in the mouth. The landscape around Vins de Pedra in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Castell d'Or The wine cooperatives have played an important part here, as in many other wine regions in Europe, and still do. The Castell d'Or in the village of Barberá de la Conca belongs to a group of 16 cooperatives. Most of the wine is sold in bulk. Castell d'Or was founded 20 years ago to bottle more of the members' grapes. Here in Conca de Barberà, says Gonzalo Cle de Diago, the commercial director, red Trepat became fashionable when the smaller, independent wine growers started making it. 'Until that moment, Trepat, which is a variety from this area, was basically used only to produce rose Cava or rose wine. 'Because cava was a secure market, making red wine from Trepat was like a revolution; it was a change for not only us, but also for the DO Conca de Barberà.' 'As light red wine is popular now, we have had a positive response with our red Trepat. It is a very adaptable grape; it adapts better than many varieties to climate change and to different soils.' Gonzalo stresses that they do not use any irrigation. They cannot get water because the area lacks these resources. Maybe in future, he says, there are ongoing projects for desalination from the government. In the meantime, it's best to stick to adaptable grape varieties. Wines Rosé Trepat 2024, Castell d'Or, Conca de Barberà A flavourful rosé wine, light in body, but packed with red fruit and quite long in the mouth (~7 euros). Castell d'Or Trepat 2024, Conca de Barberà Easy-drinking, still with character and lots of fruit, juicy in a pleasant style. Ferment in stainless steel tanks (~7 euros). The "wine cathedral" (winery) at Castell d'Or, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Celler Rendé Masdéu The roots of the company go back to the beginning of the 20th century. Josep M. Rendé was a Catalan agronomist who was involved in founding the first agricultural cooperatives in the region. We take a leap to modern days. In 1991, Josep M. and Joan Rendé Masdeu, two brothers, decided to make their own wines. Another jump to the dramatic events in October 2019, the flooding of the Francolí River, which totally devastated the winery. Some fermentation thanks were washed away and found later downstream and are now like a modern abstract sculpture in the garden. With a lot of help from other wineries from all over Catalonia, they managed to restart their activities. In 2020 they moved to new winery between L'Espluga de Francolí and Montblanc. Here, Guillem Roig Josa is the oenologist, and he makes around 75,000 bottles a year ('but because of the drought the last three years have been more like 50,000 bottles', he says). The wines Rendé Masdéu Reserva Superior Brut Nature 2021, DO Conca de Barberà A sparkling wine from the DO Conca de Barberà (still unusual as most producers here make Cava when they make sparkling). With Trepat and Parellada. Delicious, savoury, and fresh. La Nimfa blanc 2024, Celler Rendé Masdéu Macabeu, Garnacha blanca and Trepat give here a fresh, floral wine with green apple aromas and a certain structure. Genuïna 2023, Celler Rendé Masdéu Garnacha blanca and Trepat with fermentation and ageing in oak. White fruit aromas, litchi, structured with balanced oak influence. El Follet Rosat, Celler Rendé Masdéu Syrah with short skin maceration of only 8 hours. Like a fruit basket and fresh notes of tomato sprigs. Trepat del Jordiet 2022, Celler Rendé Masdéu This Trepat spent 8 months in amphora. Red fruit, pepper, fresh herbs, fennel, easy-drinking and pleasant. 11,5% alc. The tank that was crushed by the flood at Celler Rendé Masdéu, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Mas de la Pansa Imma Soler had a dream. Instead of just selling the grapes from the family vineyard, she wanted to make her own wine. Which she now has been doing since 2016. From 60-year-old bush vines, she makes flavourful Trepat from Conca de Barberà and also Macabeu and Parellada from the neighbouring region of Alt Camp. All these three varieties have their distinct personality, says Imma. She has 5 hectares and works sustainably, using natural products to treat the vineyard. Her wines are full of life and character. Trepat Tinto 2020, Mas de la Pansa, Conca de Barberà The family planted this vineyard in 1957 on a northern slope. There is vitality and energy in the wine, a lot of freshness, red berries, and fresh herbs. 'The important thing is to pick at the right moment', says Imma. Imma Soler of Mas de la Pansa, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Familia Torres The last wine I want to present is maybe the most famous of all Conca de Barberà wines: Grans Muralles from the Familia Torres, the famous Catalan family, one of the most renowned Spanish wine producers. The project Gran Muralles started in the early 1980s, aiming at recovering old and forgotten Catalan grape varieties (a passion project of the Torres family). In Grans Muralles, two of these forgotten grapes, the Garró and Querol varieties, are used together with Cariñena, Garnacha, and Monastrell. They are all vinified and aged separately. The vineyard is composed of a very particular slate and granite soil. Grans Muralles 2019, Familia Torres A smooth, silky, complex wine with intensity and layers of aromas, lots of fruit, and a good backbone structure. The 'Muralles' are the medieval walls of the extraordinary Poblet Monastery that surround the Torres Conca de Barberà vineyard. Familia Torres Grans Muralles, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Cellers Domenys Cellers Domenys is a union of 8 cooperatives, three in Conca and four in Penedès. The union comprises 800 farmers and 2,500 hectares (6,000 acres). The winery is in the village of Rocafort de Queralt, in a 1917 building, a so-called wine cathedral by the architect, Cesar Martinell. These wine cathedrals are so special for the region that Cellers Domenys are planning not only a renovation of the cellar, but also a museum för Martinell, which will be made into 'a stop for wine lovers, and also feature a restaurant and a tasting room', says Josep Almirall, the export manager. They will also build a small winery separated from the main winery, for a small production of 30,000 bottles of wine for the true wine enthusiasts. Cellers Domenys cellar, "wine cathedral" in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography The wines Cellers Domenys Anima Nua Cor Viu 2023 Macabeu and Parellada are picked and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks and then spend a couple of months in oak barrels. A lovely wine with volume in the mouth, fresh acidity, flavours of green apples and grapefruit. A perfect food wine, according to Josep: 'It goes with a lot of things and Spanish people eat a lot of different things at the same time'. Domenio Anima Nua Cor Viu A blend of Ull de Llebre (local name for Tempranillo) and Trepat, aged for some time in big oak barrels for the microoxygation, not for the oak flavours. A delicious, refreshing, easy-drinking wine for any occasion. Domenio Trepat 2021 A single vineyard wine with 60-year-old vines. Fermentation is in small 500-litre oak barrels, and only 1,000 bottles are made. Structured with fresh acidity and length, the oak is well integrated, and the overall impression is of a balanced, delicious wine with the red fruit aromas that are characteristic of Trepat. (15 euros) —Britt Karlsson
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Conca De Barberà, Catalonia's Hidden Wine Treasures, Part 1
El Celler Coop de l'Espluga de Francoli, "wine cathedral" in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Read my introduction to the region and the grapes of Conca de Barberà on Forbes: Trepat In Conca De Barbera, A Catalan Grape Variety In Tune With The Times. There is a lot of optimism among the producers in Conca de Barberà, a small appellation (DO) in Catalonia in the northwest of Spain. They believe in their wines. As Josep Almirall, export manager at Cellers Domenys, says: 'This is a magic place; we have altitude, the Mediterranean influence and diurnal differences.' The producers are making plans for their wine production and for the development of wine tourism. And just the fact that the severe drought that began in 2021 is over raises morale. Cava will remain the biggest product for many of them, but slowly but surely, phenomenal still wines are gaining ground under the DO Conca de Barberà, both red and white. The grapes are mainly the local red grape Trepat and the white cava grapes Parellada and Macabeu. Celler Carles Andreu is known for its excellent cava. It is a member of the exclusive association Elaborador Integral, a label for cava producers that carry out the entire production process themselves. Carles Andreu started making cava in 1991, and it was only in 2000 that he started making still wines. Now he and his son Bernat make 80% Cava and 20% still wines; 'Our main product is Cava and Parellada, the classical Cava grape, is our main variety in the vineyard', says Bernat Andreu. Bernat and Carles Andreu, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography The wines Cava Carles Andreu L'Era del Celdoni Gran Reserva 2016 Brut Nature Parellada This 2016 Cava was degorged in November 2024, and it spent 6 years on the lees. It is their best plot, a stony slope. The wine is very pure, fresh, and elegant with a creamy mouthfeel. Parellada 2023 Conca de Barberà, Celler Carles Andreu Parellada as a still wine can be magnificent, as it is here, with a superb mouthfeel and structure. 6 months on the lees (in stainless steel tank) does the trick. Parellada is often low in alcohol, and this one is 12%. Trepat 2024 Dotze Arroves, Conca de Barberà, Celler Carles Andreu This is a Trepat in a light, drinkable style. « We think this is a style that will be popular', says Bernat. It is made in stainless-steel tanks. It is a delicious wine, relatively soft, flavourful, light in body, with raspberries and other red berries in the aromas and some length. Trepat 2022, Celler Carles Andreu This is a bolder style of Trepat. Bernat does a green harvest for more concentration and harvests late October when the grapes are almost overripe (but the wine has still only 12.5% alc.). Lovely fruit, raspberries, rich in the mouth, fresh. Trepat 2019, Celler Carles Andreu You can definitely keep your Trepat wine for some years. This is a very fruity, elegant wine with excellent drinkability. Carles Andreu Parellada de Vinya l'Era del Celdoni, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Mas Josep Foraster 'At the beginning of the 1990s', Ricard Sebastià Foraster tells me, 'my uncle convinced my grandfather to make the winery and to start making our own wines. The first vintage was 1998. And I was sure I wanted to continue.' Now he has 34 hectares in total. He owns 27 and rents some. 'But everything that goes into the winery is grapes that we farm. We don't buy grapes; we make the whole process here.' And he makes some excellent wines. He likes Trepat, both as a single variety and in a blend. He has recently planted garnacha (grenache) to be blended with trepat. 'Trepat are heat and drought-resistant, as is garnacha', he points out. Kepa Martinez and Ricard Sebastia Foraster of Mas Foraster, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography The wines Josep Foraster Blanc Selecció Macabeu, Chardonnay and Garnacha blanca and 7 months of ageing. The garnacha stays in concrete egg, macabeu in big Stockinger oak vats and chardonnay in small barrels. 'This is the first white we produced. Now it has changed the style a bit, and we use less batonnage (lees stirring). This white is well structured with a delicious mouthfeel. Josep Foraster Brisat del Coster Macabeu A skin macerated wine with 25 days of skin contact. Slow fermentation at low temperature, half in stainless steel and half in concrete eggs. Superb wine with flavours of apricots, some tannins from the skins, and a wine with structure. Josep Foraster Les Gallinetes 2023 55 % Trepat, 45 % Garnacha. An extended period of maceration in barrels makes it rounder. A pleasant wine, easy-going and easy-drinking with some structure. Josep Foraster Trepat 2023 40% of the wine is aged in foudre (big oak vats) and the rest in smaller barrels—mouth-watering, refreshing, red fruit and some white pepper Josep Foraster Julieta 2023 Trepat These 84-year-old vines face north in clay soil, and they give a superb wine, light in style but with complex aromas, and a beautiful red fruit. 40% of the stems are added to the tank during the maceration to give texture to the wine. Before bottling, it spends 7 months in a concrete egg. Josep Foraster Pep 2022 Trepat fermented and aged in a concrete tank. The vines grow high in altitude in a very white alabaster soil. Old vines (85 years), whole cluster fermentation. Great complexity, length, fruit, and warm spices, vibrant. The barrel cellar at Mas Josep Foraster in Conca De Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Vidbertus Albert Rovira started working in the family winery in L'Espluga de Francoli in 2005. Patrick Webb handles the essential part of getting the wines out into the world. 'Trepat, Parellada and Garrut, that is the future of the region, to show the character of these local grapes', he says, adding that they just started with an importer in Chicago. In general, they have old vines, and that makes a difference, says Patrick. 'Some of our vineyards are 115 years old.' 'Both Parellada and Macabeu are low in sugar accumulation', he adds, 'and people want lower alcohol wines. We can do very distinct wines. And we need diversity because Spain needs to catch up.' Patrick Webb and Roger Gili, general manager, of the Vidbertus winery in Conca De Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography The wines 996 Garrut 2021, Vidbertus Garrut (local name for monastrell/mourvèdre) from pre-phylloxera vineyards. "Vineyards this old do not yield that many grapes; we made 996 bottles this vintage," says Patrick. But they give an incredible acidity. Packed with refreshing fruit and great concentration. Elixir Trepat 2022, Vidbertus After 17 days of fermentation and skin maceration, the wine rests for four months in a big oak vat. Good structure, some smoky and peppery notes, fresh in the finish. A superb wine. Deliri Trepat 2024, Vidbertus This is their first vintage of this light and slightly spicy trepat. It is fermented in steel tanks and is balanced, refreshing, and easy-drinking. Trepat ancestrale 2023, Vidbertus An exciting wine. Very dry in style with aromas of fresh herbs and a hint of saltiness. Entre2, Vidbertus A brilliant, very fresh Parellada with a vibrating acidity, very drinkable. Celler Vidbertus, Elixir Trepat and 996 Garrut, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography See part 2 for the following producers: Vins de Pedre/Marta Pedra Castell d'Or Celler Rendé Masdéu Cellers Domenys —Britt Karlsson
