Celler Pasanau is a small family winery dedicated to the production of wines with personality that show the character of the vineyards from which they come. Llicorella and sandstone soils from the erosion of the conglomerate rocks of the Serra de Montsant.
They seek that each of their wines expresses the terroir from which it comes.
History
For centuries the family has cultivated vineyards in Priorat. In the late nineteenth century, phylloxera devastated all the vineyards.
The grandfather Joan Pasanau recovered the family’s land and planted the vineyards again. In the eighties his grandson Ricard took over the land, acquiring other properties, introducing new varieties and new cultivation systems.
In the time that has elapsed, the winery has tripled its initial production. At present, its production is consolidated at around 40,000 bottles per year, of which 80% is destined for the main world markets.
Cultivation
Being an organic crop, weed control is done with mechanical utensils and tanning with organic products.
The phytosanitary products they use are powdered sulphur and Bordeaux broth.
They use the mule for the oldest vines and inaccessible to modern mechanical means.
Winter pruning is carried out, leaving two buds and then green pruning.
Elaboration
The system used is based on the traditional method of the area: pre-fermentation maceration, starting fermentation by its own yeasts, initial ventilation, daily pump-overs, temperature control that should not exceed 28ºC and finally detachment after 20 days (in some cases they can exceed 30).
Malolactic fermentation is pursued (change that occurs in the wine, when the sour malic acid turns into lactic acid, milder when tasted) before the arrival of the first cold winter. In this season, the rackings remove the first sediments, thus initiating their clarification process.
After ageing in oak barrels (time varies depending on the type of wine), bottling is carried out in which a gentle filtration is used so that the wine maintains its properties.
At the time of tasting it is advisable to decant the wines as well as aerate them to awaken all their characteristics again.
The vines are formed in a glass or trellises with Guyot pruning, although recently some in glass have been converted into trellises due to their phytosanitary advantages of cultivation.