Emilie Mutombo piqued our interest in around 2018, when her first wine E.T. was starting to create a buzz. Inspired by the wave of natural wine across Brussels, where she was born and raised, Emilie left her career in the events sector and immersed herself in a new venture. After studying oenology, Emilie worked with Partida Creus. She met Massimo and Antonella at a wine fair and, having tasted their wines, was driven to learn from them, becoming involved in every aspect of the winery and forming a lasting friendship. Emilie made her first wine in 2017 with grapes from Partida Creus and motivation from a fellow harvester, Tom Colman. Three years later she started making small yields (3000l in 2020 and 8000l the following year) from her own vineyards in Bonastre, part of the Baix Penedès. These are wines that hit the sweet spot between feather-light and packed with flavour, each finished with a label designed by Emilie’s brother, artist Frédéric Mutombo. Vinification methods include maceration, semi carbonic maceration and flotation, where whole-cluster grapes are suspended in direct pressed juice. Put simply, Emilie makes what she likes to drink and doesn’t hesitate to adjust her methods in order to achieve just that.
Latrepat 2022 is 100% Trepat, one of Catalonia’s indigenous grape varieties, made with the desire to create a delicate red. Deeper than Emilie’s E.T. and with more structure, while remaining fluid. Carbonic maceration and a short maceration on the skins, followed by ageing in fibreglass for 10 months. A wine with well-balanced acidity, plum, and a touch of cold smoke. Drink lightly chilled alongside a wedge of focaccia, preferably studded with black olives.