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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