SAN GENIS I VAQUE
Priorat, Spain
The winery and vineyards are located within the village of Porrera, on terraces and steep slopes. The family farms 15 hectares, divided into 3 parcels.
In Priorat a harsh climate with long summers and very little rain means that vines are some of the very few crops able to survive in the ruggedly mountainous terrain. The vines are planted on steep hillsides, making mechanized farming virtually impossible - the work in the vineyards is mostly done by hand. Additionally, the region is known for its unique soil composition, known as llicorella. Remarkably infertile, it is a dark brown mix of broken slate and quartz that sparkles in the sun. The old vines, poor soils and dry farming produces low yields of well structured grapes. The average yield is 2 lbs per vine, which comes to approximately 1 bottle of wine per vine. Farming is organic.
Minimal intervention in the winery is the philosophy and the wines are aged in a combination of French (85%) and American (15%) oak for 12 months. They are then bottled unfined and unfiltered. The winemaker, Maria Sangenis has made a name for herself by producing elegant, carefully balanced wines that frequently garner high praise and is part of a growing movement of female winemakers in Spain. The total production of the winery is approx. 2000 cases.
