Massimo and Antonella are an Italian couple from Piedmont, who moved to Barcelona before leaving city life behind and settling in a bodega on the edge of the Massís de Bonastre. Previously trained as architects, they began growing fruit and vegetables; hungry for a quality of produce that, at the time, barely existed. Searching for wine of the same standard, they started to make their own in the vineyard attached to the bodega, which the winery takes its name from. Gradually grapes became the focus, with the discovery and rescue of abandoned parcels and small plots of indigenous varieties. Massimo and Antonella are driven by the desire to recover and maintain these varieties, creating a sustainable living future for these vines. As well as preserving existing plots through purchase or lease, they are creating new plantations of old, near-forgotten varieties such as Garrut and Vinyater. The first variety Massimo and Antonella discovered, one of their favourites, was Sumoll; a red grape disqualified by the D.O. for its subdued colour and often replaced by more popular varieties. The soil is clayey and calcareous, Mediterranean and rustic. Manual harvests and short macerations are a consistent feature of the couple’s winemaking style, which is heavily influenced by the moon, nature’s cycle and the vines themselves. For ageing, they use a mixture of steel tanks, oak, chestnut and acacia barrels, and damejeanne.
VN is short for Vinel·lo; a young, fresh wine well-fitted to a casual dinner. VN Tinto ’21 is a field blend of 7 native varieties: Garnacha Negra, Ull de Perdiu, Sumoll, Queixal de Llop, Samsò, Garrut and Trepat, all from a single vineyard named ‘the garden of varieties’. Once harvested, whole bunches are crushed underfoot and co-fermented in steel tanks. After 7 months in steel the wine is bottled with no additions. A lightly reductive, vibrant wine with a wild touch, straightforward acidity and a fruity character. Enjoy slightly chilled with wild boar sausages.