Finca Valldosera
by
Kathy and Terry Sullivan
Summary: Finca Valldosera offers a wine experience that includes an unusual cava variety and a trip to a panoramic summit that will delight the photographer in you. The bodega is located in the Garraf region.
Turning off a smooth road, the driveway to Finca Valldosera is rough and long through tree-covered land. The winery and vineyards are located in the Massís del Garraf, a region renowned for its geography. Upon reaching the winery, we enjoyed the many views of the Penedès from the winery and during our tour of the property.
The Property
In 1970, Enric Valldosera and his wife purchased the property. By 1980 Enric and his wife, both who enjoy wine, decided to add 25 hectares (62 acres) of vineyards and a winery to the 200-hectare (494 acres) property.
A visit to Finca Valldosera offers an unusual experience for wine tourists. This winery is located in the mountainous area of the Garraf, Penedès region of Catalonia. The vineyard soils are filled with limestone and fossils left behind by the sea 22 million years ago. A trip to the high point of the property provides dynamic views of the Penedès region, Montserrat Mountain, Mediterranean Sea and the Finca Valldosera farmhouse. The vineyards in this area were devastated by phylloxera in the late 1800s. Signs of the earlier vineyards include the remaining stone huts, barracas (picutured), built to protect vineyard workers from storms.
According to winemaker Jordi Valls the stony, fossil rich soil is different here than in the other areas of the Penedès. We observed many rocks that had fossils in them. Temperatures can reach ten degrees cooler than other parts of the Penedés during the summer, but are slightly warmer during the winter. This helps to keep the acids of the grapes high. Today the soil is limestone and contains numerous fossils. Harvest is estimated at about four to six tons per hectare.
Grape varieties growing at Finca Valldosera include the white grape varieties: Xarelo.lo, Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay and Subirat Parent. Red varietal grapes growing at Finca Valldosera are Tempranillo, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell. Current production is 60,000 bottles of cava and 40,000 bottles of still wines.
Farmhouse and Winery
After an exciting, bumpy four-wheel drive to the top of a nearby mountain with delightful views of the valley and countryside, it was time to return to the farmhouse. Just inside the entrance, a foyer has framed ceramic artwork that is considered traditional Catalonian art. The entrance also has a unique arch. The point at the top of the arch identifies the building as being built during the XV century. This foyer has a display of the winery’s portfolio of wines and clay jugs used for drinking water in the vineyards.
The winery includes two rooms with old winemaking equipment and oak casks providing a look into the past. Some artifacts in the collection include a wood press, crusher and dosage apparatus. In contrast the second area of the winery has stainless steel tanks, including a horizontal turnable tank, new oak barrels and a lab. In the Finca Valldosera winery only the first 50% of the free run and pressed juice is used in cava production. The rest of the juice is sold to other wineries.
Cava bottles are aged in the darkened, humid cellars laying on their sides for months to years depending on the type of cava produced. For older cavas, after 18 months the bottles are turned to suspend the dead yeast cells in the cava. The bottles are then returned to the horizontal position to once again allow the yeast cells to settle to the bottom.
Wines
We visited on a fine sunny day and enjoyed a wine tasting at a table in the courtyard beside the farmhouse. An unusual opportunity at the winery is to taste Finca Valldosera’s 100% Subirat Parent cava. This grape variety is one of the few varieties allowed by the Cava Regulatory Commission for use in cava production. It is not widely grown and there are few single varietal cavas.
Brut Nature Subirat Parent was a yellow color with a single bead of bubbles forming a mousse on the surface. The cava was aged for 30 months and disgorged in December 2014, five months prior to tasting. The aroma was floral and minerality was detected on the taste. There was also a touch of salt on the taste of the cava.
The 2009 MS 4.7 Brut Nature Gran Reserva was a blend of 45% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, 10% Parellada, 10% Chardonnay and 5% Subirat Parent. The dark yellow colored cava had several columns of beads forming an active mousse on the surface. Blossoms and minerals were on the aroma. The taste offered floral hints, mineral and freshly baked bread with a lively mouthfeel. The finish had green apple, mineral and floral notes.
The 2013 Subirat Parent DO Penedés was made with 100% Subirat Parent. The yellow colored wine had some yeasty bread notes, was floral and offered yellow stone fruit notably peaches and peach pits. This easy drinking wine pairs well with hot summer days. As an aperitif, it is like a cool breeze that cuts through the heat. The peach notes are well suited to summer.
Wine Tourism
Appointments are required to visit Finca Valldosera. Groups of three or four may have a tour of the property that includes vineyards and the mountaintop view of the Penedès. Large groups have the opportunity to take a delightful walk.
Finca Valldosera
Urb.Can Trabal, Olèrdola (Alt Penedès)
08734 Barcelona - Spain
Phone: +34 938 143 047 - 648 925 799
Article written June 2015
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