KEY FACTS
CLIMATE: Mediterraneanclimatewithhot, drysummersandmildwinters.Torrentialrainfall inautumn.
ELEVATION: 328to820feet(100to250 m)
SOILS: Sauló:graniticandsandy,naturally acidicsoilwithverylowlevelsofactivelime,little organicmatterandgooddrainage
CLASS: DOAlellaandDOCava
VINE: 123acres(50ha)
KEY VARIETALS: Pansa Blanca (Xarel.lo), Pansa Rosada (Xarel.lo Vermell), Chardonnay, Mataró, Garnatxa Negra, Macabeo, Parellada, PinotNoir,Syrah
ECO: Certifiedorganicsinceinceptionin1991
INNOVATE: Pioneers in the production of sulfite-free wines, bottling the first sulfite-free cava in Spain in 2006. Part of a project to develop resistant and native varieties adapted to climatechangesince2012.
HISTORY
Josep María Pujol-Busquets and wife
Cristina Guillén founded the winery with only two hectares of vineyard, after years as the technical director and consultant to several other wineries.
THE FAMILY
At the head of the team is founder and soul of Alta Alella, Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets. An agronomist and oenologist, he was technical director at renowned wineries such as Marqués de Monistrol and Parxet, wine consultant at several wineries, and professor of oenology attheRovirayVirgiliUniversity(Tarragona).
Mireia Pujol-Busquets is one of Josep Maria's daughters and technical director of the winery. A sommelier with a masters degree in organic agriculture, she brings a passion for maintaining the quality of Alta Alella wines and cavas, a 360º vision of the future and a strong commitmenttosustainability.
SustainabilityisoneofthecorevaluesofAltaAlella. The winery has practiced certified organic agriculture since the beginning of the project in 1991. In addition, the winery has the following sustainability measures: reduction of the carbon footprintwithISOcertificationin2023,certification of the company's environmental management system in 2015, recovery and conditioning of all bottles consumed in the wine tourism center, reduction of packaging and bottle weight, installation of solar panels and use of renewable energy, biosphere certification, and sustainable winetourism
TERROIR
The Alta Alella vineyards are located in the Serralada deMarinaNaturalPark,10kmfromBarcelonaand1,5 km from the Mediterranean Sea, lying within the territory of the DO Alella and the Serra de Mar subzone (Comtats de Barcelona) of the DO Cava. A singularity of the winery’s terroir is the minerality that the Sauló soil brings to the wines. It is a sandy soil fromthedecompositionofgranite(80%sand,4%silt and 16% clay), which is also acidic and very poor in organic matter. They are moderately deep soils with intensedrainage,verypermeableandwithlowwater retention capacity. At the same time they are very erodible, so it is important to protect them from autumnstormswithvegetationcovers.Inaddition,the terroirischaracterizedbyasalineenvironment(1.5km from the sea) and vineyards surrounded by forest (NaturalPark).
VITICULTURE
Alta Alella's vineyards are spread out on slopes and terraces between 328-820 feet (100 and 250) above sea level and grow in Sauló. This sandy soil of decomposing granite characterized by excellent drainage and little organic matter,givesthewinesaverygoodnaturalacidity.AltaAlellaworkswithmicrovinifications,maintainingtheorography,the forest areas surrounding the vineyards and planting the optimal variety in each plot according to its orientation. Although it requires tending vines on slopes, this type of viticulture permits maintenance of the soil structure, organization of the land andthepreservationofbiodiversityandthelocalecosystem.Italsohelpstopreserveanaturalsiteintheperi-urbanareaof Barcelona, which is under heavy urban pressure. Native varieties are cultivated, and traditional varieties such as Pansa BlancaandMataróhavebeenrecoveredinAlella.
WINEMAKING
The winery is distinguished by its constant innovation (producers of the first Cava without sulfites, research in resistant varieties adapted to climate change, pioneers in wine tourism) and its commitment to excellence. Organic wines without added sulfites are produced within the DO Alella and DO Cava appellations, which stand out for their authenticity and expression of their origin. In 2017 the Vallcirera plot was certified by DO Cava with the superior category Paraje Calificado, and in 2022 they received the Elaborador Integral quality seal, which recognizes producers who make 100%estatewines.
Alta Alella works with traditionalvarietiesPansa BlancaandMataró,along other native and internationalvarieties.
Mediterranean, provides an ideal climate for viticulture. The terroir of Alta Alella is dominated by sauló (sandy soil of decomposing granite), organic farming that respects the natural environment and biodiversity, and the recovery of traditional varieties such as Pansa Blanca and Mataró. These characteristics produce wines and cavas with a very good natural acidity and balance, with capacity for long aging. Each wine expresses a very distinctive minerality, salinity and freshness, with distinct varietalandvintage-specificnuances.
ALTA ALELLA PORTFOLIO:
Mirgin Exeo, Mirgin Opus, Cau d’en Genís Blanco, Lanius, 10, Dolc Mataró
cropsthatareadaptedtoclimatechange.
Why is Alta Alella a Grandes Pagos de España winery?
Alta Alella joined the association in 2024, sharing the same philosophy of producing high quality wines that are the result of the constant effort to capturetheessenceofitsterroir.
Mirgin Exeo
Varieties
60% Pansa Blanca, 40% Chardonnay
Vinification
Barrel fermented; aged for a minimum of 66 months
Good to Know
100% pressed and vinified on the property. Vineyards grow on Sauló in the qualified Vallcirera site
Selection of grapes from organic farming. Fermentation and aging on lees in concrete eggs
Good to Know
Selection of best Xarel.lo grapes from the
Camí Baix de Tiana s/n
08328 Alella
Barcelona ALTALELLA.WINE @ALTAALELLA
Contact: Mireia Pujol-Busquets
mireia@altaalella.wine
ALTA ALELLA
100% Pansa Blanca
