18-05-2025
Trepat In Conca De Barbera, A Catalan Grape Variety In Tune With The Times
Korni, Trempat (Trepat) and La Musa from Vins de Pedra, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
You may not have heard of Conca de Barberà. The region has had its own appellation in Spain, known as Denominación de Origen (DO), since 1985. However, a significant portion of the grapes has been used in the production of sparkling Cava, and a relatively small amount of still wine has been made under the DO Conca de Barberà label.
But it seems that this will soon change. The producers in Conca (as they say locally) want to focus on their own appellation and more on still wines. And they should. They have a unique grape variety, trepat, which is exclusively grown in Conca de Barberà, and which gives a style of wine that many people are seeking today. Additionally, they produce superb still wines from the Cava grapes, especially parellada and macabeu.
Mas Forster vineyards in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Conca de Barberà is located inland, north of the coastal town of Tarragona. It takes just over an hour to drive here from Barcelona. The area is beautiful and mountainous, with the more famous Penedès region just to the east. Conca, like Penedès, has a Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild winters.
However, the vineyards in Conca are located at 400–500 meters (1,300-1,600 feet) above sea level, which means that the temperature drops significantly at night. Marta Pedra runs the Vins de Pedra winery, and she talks about the advantage of the cool summer nights and the constant breeze, both in preserving the acidity and preventing fungal diseases. The soil contains limestone, which has good water-holding properties, so the growers are well prepared for new dry periods. A three-year drought has just ended in Catalonia.
Marta Pedra and Josep Serra i Pla of Vins de Pedra, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Conca de Barberà produced a significant amount of wine in the 19th century, with large areas planted and wine exported to both northern Europe and America. However, all of this ended abruptly with the arrival of phylloxera in 1893. The following year, an agricultural cooperative was formed, the first in Spain. Through the cooperatives, the winegrowers managed to survive this challenging period.
Many cooperatives were founded during the first decades of the 20th century. Today, these cooperatives remain essential for the production and the many smaller grape growers in the region. They are also a spectacular feature in the small towns. Several of the cooperatives in the Conca de Barberà region are housed in so-called wine cathedrals, built of brick with high ceilings in the Catalan modernist style, whose most notable star is Antoni Gaudí. The architect Cèsar Martinell, a student of Guidi, is famous for his wine cathedrals built around 1920. Martinell studied viticulture and vinification and specialised in constructing wine cellars. He understood the requirements, such as long, narrow, and open windows (without glass) to provide natural ventilation and coolness.
El Celler Coop de l'Espluga de Francoli, "wine cathedral" in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Cellers Domenys cellar, "wine cathedral" in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
'Before the phylloxera, a third of the grapes in Conca were trepat,' says Bernat Andreu who runs Celler Carles Andreu together with his father, Carles. 'The cooperative kept trepat but mainly to make Cava Rosé, but also some still rosé wine.'
Trepat makes excellent and flavourful rosé wines, but it is as a red wine that it shows its fascinating side. But it would be a while before the red trepat wines got their chance.
Bernat and Carles Andreau, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Conca de Barberà received its DO in 1985, and around this time, things slowly started to change. Small independent producers began to appear, and new grape varieties were planted. Traditionally in Conca there were mainly trepat, parellada, macabeu, tempranillo, here called ull de llebre, and garnacha. Now, they also planted the internationally popular cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Trepat was still primarily used for rosé.
2000 was the next milestone. Carles Andreu started making cava in 1991. Ten years later, he wanted to make still wines as well, and in particular, he wanted to make red wine from trepat. 'In 2000, he made the first one, and for several years, this wine was the only red wine from trepat,' says Bernat, his son.
But not anymore. A few years later, the red trepat trend began. 'In the 1980s, people planted tempranillo', says Josep Almirall, export manager at Cellers Domenys. 'Now they plant trepat.'
Carles Andreu Parellada de Vinya l'Era del Celdoni, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
'People today want a lighter style of wine with food,' says Gonzalo Cle de Diago, national commercial director at Castell d'Or. He uses his Red Trepat, which sells for 7 euros on site, as an example. 'This one is easy to drink but still has character.' And with lots of fruit in a juicy and pleasant style, I might add.
Gonzalo's description is spot on, although, of course, there are nuances of 'light' and 'juicy.' In wines such as Le Trempat from Vins de Pedra or Elixir from Celler Vidbertus, there is more complexity and intensity. But the typicality of the grape is still there.
Celler Vidbertus, Elixir Trepat and 996 Garrut, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Winemaker Martí Magrinyà at Celler Vidvertus describes Trempat as follows: 'It is a light wine with a light body, fresh, not acidic, but with low alcohol, so you feel the acidity. The aroma varies depending on the vintage, but it often features notes of strawberries, a spicy note, and a hint of black pepper.'
Notably, the low alcohol content in these wines is worth mentioning, as certain consumers nowadays reject wines with an alcohol content of 14% and above. Even when the grapes are picked ripe, Trepat typically has an alcohol content of no more than 12-12.5%. Harvest can sometimes occur in late October.
Another advantage of trepat is its adaptability. 'It is a hardy plant, well adapted to the environment here. It can withstand drought. During the three years of drought recently, trepat and garnacha survived almost completely,' says Martí Magrinyà.
Ricard Sebastìa Foraster at Mas Foraster agrees: 'Trepat has good resistance to heat and drought, just like garnacha. Garnacha has disappeared a bit in Conca because it is not used for cava, but we are planting garnacha again now to be able to blend it with trepat.'
Kepa Martinez and Ricard Sebastia Foraster of Mas Foraster, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Sometimes producers put their trepat in oak barrels. This can be a good thing, although Martí Magrinyà advises caution with trepat and oak. I have tasted several lightly oaked trepat wines that are excellent, such as Domenio Trepat from Cellars Domensys and Le Trempat from Vins de Pedra. As always, oak should be used in moderation, and the lightest trepat wines tend to do best without oak.
From north-facing slopes and 84-year-old vines, Mas Foraster makes its Julieta Trepat. They destem but then reintroduce 40% of the stems back into the fermentation tank, which, according to Ricard Sebastià Foraster, 'gives texture.' The result is an elegant wine with great aroma complexity.
Julieta Trepat, Josep Foraster, Montblanc, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Trepat is not the only grape in Conca de Barberà, and it is common to blend trepat with other grapes. Domenio Anima Nua Cor Viu from Cellers Domenys blends tempranillo and trepat, resulting in a pleasant, refreshing fruity style after a short ageing in old oak barrels.
Celler Rende Masdeu makes a white wine from trepat and blends it with garnacha blanca. The wine, called Genuïna, ferments and ages in barrels with a bit of lees stirring (batonnage), resulting in a lovely, structured wine.
La Nimfa, Genuina, El Follet from Celler Rende Masdeu, Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Wines from Cellers Domenys in Conca de Barbera, Catalonia, copyright BKWine Photography
Of the three Cava grapes, parellada and macabeu dominate, xarel-lo does less well here. The still wines from parellada and macabeu made in Conca de Barberà are impressive and show what these grapes are capable of in a completely different way than what you would notice drinking a cava. This is evident in the vibrant Entre2 Parellada from Celler Vidbertus and the fresh, citrus-scented Folls Blanc Macabeu from Vins des Pedra. With six months of ageing on the lees, Cellers Carles Andreu Parellada has acquired a lovely mouthfeel.
Another grape I came across in Conca de Barberà is garutt, which is the local name for monastrell, also known as mourvèdre in France. Vi de Fang from Celler Rendé Masdéu shows a powerful and flavourful side of the grape. 996 from Celler Vidbertus, from 100-year-old vines, has an extraordinary freshness and concentration.
For many producers in Conca de Barberà, Cava remains the main product. However, the excellent still wines are increasingly demanding more attention.
Producer profiles and additional wines will be featured in an upcoming article about Conca de Barberà. Stay tuned.
—Britt Karlsson
