Ancestral Viña del Mas 2018

Rainy and wet vintage. A harvest of medium production, with good sugar and acidity balances.

The 2018 vintage began with a drier and colder autumn than usual. With the arrival of winter, the rain also came. During the winter months, it rained 216 mm (the average of the last 25 years is less than 100 mm). Due to this cold period, the sprouting was late.

Spring continued to be very rainy; it rained 212 mm, which caused the recovery of the plant, a good vegetative growth and an abundance of fungi, especially mildew. Precisely at the time of flowering, the most sensitive period for mildew and oidium, it rained every day. Working with phytotherapy, biological control and very low doses of copper we managed to control the fungi.

In August, we had the highest historical temperatures on the estate, reaching 40 °C on 4 August, which caused the cycle to advance a day or so. During the harvest the temperature was rather cool, and we had four days of rain. We made a very rigorous selection of grapes in the vineyard.

During the whole agricultural year, it rained 654.9 mm (the average over the last 20 years is 517.8 mm and the average of the last three years of drought is 387.8 mm). The average temperature was 15.2 °C, similar to the average of the last 20 years.

The soils on the Estate are calcareous. The first layer comprises roots of up to 1 meter that live in the clay along with nutrients, organic matter and water. Second layer, from 1 meter down. This is where the plant meets the compact clays known locally as galera. Calcareous base rock encrusted with marine fossils.

The varieties we have planted are Xarel·lo and Bastard Negre, an ancestral variety that Pepe is trying to recuperate.

Ancestral is a natural sparkling wine, 100% Xarel·lo de la Vinya del Mas, where we find deep soils with calcareous and clay texture. Vines planted in 1970

Sparkling wide and vinous in the mouth. The variety gives them notes of ripe fruit, iodine and herbaceous. Saline and mineral. Long. Without disgorging. Brut nature.

The vineyard is carried out on a strictly organic basis respecting the soil, the vineyards and its ecosystem to develop and maintain a balanced environment. We work with spontaneous and planted plant covers.

The maximum attention is focused on the vineyards, carrying out a meticulous work throughout the whole agricultural year, such as green pruning, winter pruning, making soldiers...so that the air circulates among the grapes minimizing the onset of diseases; Since once the grapes have matured in a healthy way, the wine can be allowed to develop with minimal intervention in the cellar; yeast, sugar, chemicals, or temperature control are not used in winemaking, making the process as natural as possible.

We work according to the biodynamic principles following the lunar calendar for the work on the vines, and we make our own preparations. We apply compost of the animals of our little farm.

All the work in the vineyard is done by hand and, when required, with the help of horses; 100% animal traction.

In winemaking, we go to the limit and from 2014 - in the garage of the Mas del Serral- we make natural parcel vinification of: “La Vinya del Mas”, “La Vinya del Noguer” and “ Les Terrasses del Serral”.

Harvested in 15 kg boxes , the grape was very healthy due to the drought throughout the ripening period. The grapes gostraight to the presses. Whole grape pressing, to prevent oxidationand to obtain a higher quality must. Slight crushing. Spontaneous fermentation with yeasts native to the vineyard at controlled tempera-tures between 16 and 19 °C in stainless steel tanks in the garage ofthe Mas (farmhouse). The fermentation in tanks lasted 18 days. We bottled with a density of 1001 (18,7 g/L of residual sugar) to complete the fermentation in the bottle to be able to obtain a sparkling wine with the ancestral method. There is a minimum aging of 24 months in bottle. We do not disgorge or use any additives.