Porrera, Priorat: December 2022
The craggy landscapes of Priorat in Spain hold a distinct allure. The steep slopes, intricate vines, and rugged, rocky soils yield not just quantity but exceptional quality, justifying the price tag that might seem steep at first glance. Among the pioneers of this vibrant region are Nin-Ortiz, a couple with an infectious passion and profound dedication to their vineyards. We had the privilege of visiting their estate, guided by Carles Ortiz himself. With him, we delved into one of our most enriching discussions about wine, biodynamic viticulture, and winemaking. The result is the detailed account below. Each section can be enjoyed on its own, or as part of a whole.
Note: We have endeavored to preserve the original voice and vision of Carlos and Ester in this article. Our tasting notes are the only place where we express our personal opinions1.
The beginnings of Nin-Ortiz
In his early career, Carles Ortiz’s studies were rooted in ecological viticulture and enology. This period saw a market dominated by varietals like Merlot and Cabernet, whose desirable qualities promised a sure path to viticultural success. Their market value, a solid 3 euros per kilogram, significantly overshadowed the modest 2 euros brought in by the Grenache.
When Ortiz first claimed ownership of his property in Porrera, it was an expanse of untamed wilderness, with hazelnut, almond and olive trees that blanketed the terrain, remnants of a time long past, having been abandoned and forgotten for at least a decade. His first task involved the planting of 40,000 vines between 1999 and 2001, creating patchworks of vineyards scattered across the slopes of the valley. All of these were destined for the Planetes bottling. Despite the natural preponderance of Grenache in the region, Ortiz initially also planted some of the more profitable Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, a decision he retrospectively classifies as his “first mistakes”.
The year 2000 was pivotal for Ortiz. The birth of his first son brought about a profound shift in his perspective and consequently, his lifestyle. The hustle of city life was swiftly exchanged for the pastoral tranquillity of the countryside. A previously avid mountain climber and snowboarder, Ortiz’s impressive list of accomplishments includes three ascents of the famed El Capitan in Yosemite. Yet, an injury eventually forced him to abandon these pursuits. He found that life in Priorat allowed him to stay connected to nature. Soon he was directing his energy towards nurturing the vineyard instead, with the ambition of only working under organic practices.
The bond with the land extends to Carles’ wife, Ester Nin, a biologist from a Penedès family with a century-long winemaking tradition around El Pla de Manlleu. Traditionally, they grew grapes for larger wine producers, cultivated food crops alongside the vines, and ran a village shop. Their way of life was deeply tied to the land’s rhythms.
An early picture of biodynamic viticulture in Spain
Note: In this section, we present Carles’ passionate views and arguments in favor of biodynamic agriculture. In our opinion, biodynamics works not because of the mystical principles it is based on, but because it demands the constant attention of the winemaker to the vines. This enables the winemaker to observe the needs of the vines and guide their growth. On the other hand, conventional agriculture allows the farmers to spend less time on their land. This might still result in abundant harvests, but care and time are essential to produce high quality grapes.
In 2006, Carles Ortiz embarked on a comprehensive study of biodynamic agriculture, the ecological school of thought he reveres as an evolution of organic farming. Central to biodynamics is a commitment to avoid chemical treatments and to nourish the soil with natural alternatives. Its precepts champion a holistic approach which accentuates the individuality of each parcel of land and its contributions to the characteristic flavour of the wine.
Carles explained to us that this move was also motivated by his personal adoption of homeopathy2, which served as the blueprint for his application of similar principles to his vineyards. Herbal teas and plant-based concoctions replaced chemical sprays, underpinning his belief that biodynamics prioritizes quality over quantity. Indeed, his aim was to harness the inherent vitality of the land and manifest it in his wines.
Yet, he noted a stark absence of these initiatives in Spain. By 2003, the concept or practice of biodynamics was just beginning to gain traction in Spain. Ester began her studies alongside a handful of other Spanish practitioners, including Ricardo Pérez Palacios in Bierzo, who made an invaluable contribution by translating a seminal book on biodynamics from French into Spanish. Pérez Palacios, among others, established an educational foundation, Granja Escuela Cando, to promote and investigate biodynamics, disseminating their insights among a community of eager students and teachers.
In 2003, Recaredo dared to tread the path of biodynamics. Ton Mata from Recaredo had been studying alongside Ester and Sara Pérez, also biologist – from Mas Martinet in Priorat. The transition, proved to be as monumental as it was demanding. A full decade would pass before Recaredo, with its intricate family-run structure, would be able to bottle a biodynamic certified Cava, but the investment of time, as Ortiz assures us, was undoubtedly worth it.
Converting Nin-Ortiz into biodynamics
Fast forward to 2006, and we find Carles himself enrolled in the Biodynamics in the Mediterranean group based in Ulldecona. In a delightful twist of fate, this led him to cross paths with Ester in 2007, at a seminar in Granja Laya. They had met once before when Carles lent her the only tractor with inter-row tools in Priorat. Their second encounter felt like a special coincidence.
Soon, their conversion to biodynamics was further catalysed by their encounter with a Romanée Conti wine. Driven by curiosity and admiration, the couple embarked on a journey to explore various cellars and learn about the distinctive expression of wines cultivated under biodynamic methods. They were especially impressed by Domaine Gauby in Roussillon and some projects in Jura, which Carles recalled with enthusiasm.
Their philosophy of wine production stretches beyond mere profit-making or maintaining a lifestyle. They see their work as a way of expressing emotions, art, family, and life through wine. This vision led them to fully embrace biodynamics and to work with mules since 2007, a decision that he considers profoundly transformative. Naturally, his choice to work with mules has earned him some curiosity and skepticism from the locals. Unfazed by the local’s perplexity, he considers this integration of animals into their lives as a vital response to the rampant use of herbicides in Priorat. He believes these chemicals harm the identity and diversity of the vineyards.
Finding the way in through Garnacha and Carignan
He emphasizes the importance of preserving this identity by promoting local grape varieties such as Garnacha and Carignan. His staunch conviction in the authenticity of his wines led him to distance his work from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In 2007, Carles and Ester began grafting their Cabernet vines to white varietals and converted their Merlot vines to the indigenous variety, Garnacha Peluda.
Reflecting this shift in perspective, Carles is now deeply committed to the local heritage. He envisages a future where all Priorat wines are crafted from local varieties like Garnacha Peluda and other local white varieties best adapted to the climate. Take for instance the famous L’Ermita from Álvaro Palacios. Initially, in 1989, it was 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It later transitioned to a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blend and, post-2005, evolved into a predominantly Garnacha-based wine. All the Garnacha was eventually grafted onto the Cabernet too. Mainstream varietals, such as Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Viognier, have often been adopted due to trends, but many winemakers now recognize the importance of long-term thinking.
The history of Priorat is tightly linked to its soils and their preservation
The epicentre of viticulture— the soil — forms the cornerstone of Carles Ortiz’s philosophy. As a cold December breeze blows on Planetes, Ortiz advocates the value of preserving and enriching the terroir, a practice that contradicts much of modern winemaking.
In Ortiz’s perspective, the use of herbicides and neglect of organic matter depletes the vineyard’s liveliness and expressiveness[/efn_note]Author’s note: This is proven. Pesticides dwindle the number of microorganisms in the soils. These organisms are however essential to the ecosystem and play an important role in how the vine consumes nutrients.[/efn_note]. Ortiz gravitates towards biodynamic viticulture despite the greater demands of comprehensive environmental knowledge, financial investment, and labor intensity it entails. He perceives this intricate engagement with earth as an enriching aspect of his life and work.
He evokes a time when farming was a mosaic of vineyards, vegetables, and livestock. He reproaches the shift towards monoculture, a change expedited by the appeal of simplicity and the corporate interests of chemical giants. From the cellar atop the hill of the Planetes vineyard, the stone ‘marges’ (dry stone walls in Catalan, many of them empty), silent witnesses of Priorat’s tumultuous history, come into view. They have seen the shift following the phylloxera plague, the introduction of American rootstock resistant to phylloxera, the concomitant shift towards chemical fertilisers and herbicides, and the subsequent marginalisation of traditional practices such as mule labour. Carles’s explanation delved deeper, painting a picture of the broader evolution of society, encapsulating the desire to streamline hard labour and adapt to an urbanised lifestyle. The story of viticulture in Priorat is one of adaptation and survival. We must recognise the pragmatism of change in modern life while striving to preserve a connection to the land.
The rocks of Priorat
In advocating a return to traditional farming methods, Ortiz harnesses the principles of biodynamics, seeing in them a beacon of comfort and a profound tether to the terroir. The rocky soils of Priorat imbue his wines with their distinct character, a facet he’s keen to preserve and honour. Rocks are crucial to the identity of the terroir. Carles claims that across any region, be it Bordeaux, Burgundy, or the Roussillon, the paramount traits that truly distinguish a vineyard are the grapes and the soil.
In Priorat, the land is essentially a vibrant palette of rocks. The rocks, depending on the iron content, range from a deep blue hue to greys, reds and browns. “Priorat has ten different types of rocks. Llicorella is just one of them,” he explained. Llicorella, the local name for slate or schist, dominates the soils of Porrera3. Granitic soils are also abundant. Limestone, on the other hand, is mostly found closer to the valleys with deeper soils or within cements in very decomposed llicorella soils. In Planetes, one sees a lot of roca pigallada, or Ferral, rich in iron and reddish in colour. Another notable feature of the terroir is the diversity in its age. “The Planetes vineyard is situated on a spot where geological movements dating back 325 million years occurred, while just two kilometres away, the plot where I produce Coma d’En Romeu, a 100% Grenache wine, is 450 million years old and much more brown,” he continued.
He described how the vine’s roots can penetrate deep into the soil – as far as 20 meters over the course of half a century. Llicorella is poor in nutrients and drains the rainwater quickly. Consequently, the roots dig deep to draw up the essence of the terrain, the minerality, and the moisture, which, in turn, contributes to the distinctive character of the wines. This soil complexity, he asserts, is mirrored in his wines. Coma d’En Romeu, for instance, has a fresher temperament due to a high silicate content in the soil.
Focus on Garnacha Peluda with Ester Nin on board
Already in 2003, Ester had crafted a vintage titled Mas d’en Caçador, a mere 900 bottles of a wine steeped in tradition. She was convinced that the true character of Priorat wine did not depend on Cabernet or Merlot grapes influenced by Bordeaux. Her early Garnacha Peluda creation used 100% stems, paying tribute to the ancient methods of wine-making, without any modern machinery. Inspired by old vintages of Priorat’s historical wineries such as Scala Dei, Masía Barril or Cooperativa de Gratallops, Carles and Ester believe that the stems add freshness and longevity to their wine. Furthermore, she bottled it in Burgundy bottles4, as a nod to the practices of these wineries during the 1950s.
Working together on Planetes since 2008, they focused on the native Garnacha Peluda grapes using wood from Mas d’en Caçador while selling the yet-to-grafted Cabernet and Merlot to other producers. Their approach went beyond just the grapes and the bottle. They undertook the arduous task of restoring the walls within their vineyard as well as switching to using mules for labor on the sharp slopes or costers that tractors cannot navigate.
Their vineyards defied the norm in plant density per hectare. Traditionally, this number varies between 5,700 to 6,500 plants. In a daring yet calculated endeavour, however, Carles and Ester elevated this figure to a staggering 10,000 plants per hectare. With this increase in plant density came an inversely proportional decrease in individual plant yield, from two kilos to just about 1 to 1.2 kilos of grapes in the terraced plots. For context, vineyards in Penedes yield roughly 15 kilos per plant, with Rioja and Ribera de Duero producing five and three and a half kilos respectively.
On the costers of Priorat, the yield goes down to half a kilo per plant. The terrain and soil composition has a minimal presence of organic matter (between 20cm to 100cm deep), rendering water and nutrient absorption by the roots rather challenging. Despite the rain, the parched earth retains but a fraction, the remainder seeping through to the natural aquifers and rivers. It is these taxing conditions – the unyielding rocky soil, temperature extremes, scant water and organic matter – that render winemaking in regions like Penedès or Ribera de Duero a far less daunting task compared to Priorat. Yet, it is precisely these adversities that lead to more concentration and complexity in the wines. Additionally, they make for more resilient vines to climate change, since their deep roots allow them to resist droughts better.
Discovering Carinyena Blanca
In the debut vintage of Nin-Ortiz in 2008, Carles Ortiz shared an intriguing story of how among his 10,000 Grenache plants, fifteen accidentally produced white grape-bearing vines. What seemed to be a serendipitous anomaly turned out to be the rare white Carignan, Carinyena Blanca, a grape variety that predominantly flourishes in Empordà.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that approximately 3000 indigenous white Carignan vines already existed in Priorat, contradicting the common belief that it was exclusive to Empordà. This finding sparked a dispute with the Priorat D.O.Q. Regulating Council, who, at the time, denied the existence of white Carignan in Priorat.
This revelation put the winery in what Ortiz affectionately termed “administrative limbo”. Although white Carignan is now authorized in Spain and Priorat, the process for official recognition in Priorat is expected to continue for another seven years. Despite these hurdles, Ester and Carles have chosen to navigate this with stoic acceptance. Over the last three years, they’ve planted an additional 9,000 vines, each traceable to a single white Carignan in the vineyards of Mas d’en Caçador.
Ortiz is clearly passionate about white Carignan’s potential. He believes in the grape’s unique personality, and its ability to produce a monovarietal wine of moderate alcohol content. Right now, white wines are mandated to have a minimum of 13% alcohol. Ortiz and his team have dual goals: to earn official recognition for their white Carignan and to campaign for a lower minimum alcohol content for white wines. Normally, they harvest around late August or early September, which yields around 12% ABV.
Winemaking
At its core, Carles Ortiz’s philosophy as an enologist is a masterful blend of patience, respect for nature, and an appreciation of the complexity inherent in wine production. By advocating for minimal intervention, natural fermentation, and a thoughtful ageing process, Carles allows the voice of the land to resonate in the wines of Nin-Ortiz.
Alcohol content in wine
Ortiz made it clear that alcohol content plays a significant role in the public’s perception and appreciation of wine. Currently, the sweet spot seems to be around twelve percent; a table of four can enjoy two bottles without feeling overpowered. Wines at the eleven percent mark struggle to maintain body, while those at a robust fifteen and a half percent tend to be dismissed as excessively strong.
In today’s world, where the average alcohol content for red wines hovers around thirteen and a half percent, and white wines around thirteen percent, Ortiz hopes this escalation in strength is a fleeting trend, attributing its rise to a passing fashion rather than enduring taste.
Embracing the waves of change, Ortiz looks to the past for inspiration, underlining the necessity of returning to traditional methods of wine production. He shared with us a detail from a 1752 viticulture book, recommending a maximum fermentation period of seven days to prevent an over-extraction that might spoil the wine’s elegance. Similarly, he advocates for a late August harvest instead of the traditional September one, cautioning against producing wines that are too strong and muscular.
Calling the harvest
Beyond alcohol, the art of balancing acidity is another challenge that winemakers like Ortiz face. The secret to mastering this balance lies in maintaining the vineyard’s pH balance. Decisions about the harvest hinge primarily on this factor. A pH reading of 3.2 within a twenty-hour window signals the onset of the harvest. The careful addition of sulphur in the cellar can help fine-tune the pH balance, ensuring the wine’s quality isn’t compromised.
The arid, coarse soils with scant organic matter facilitate the maturation process. But herein lies the crux of the challenge: synchronising the maturation timelines across all parcels. With varying altitudes and stages of maturation, and facing different directions, the parcels mature at their own pace. For instance, southwest-facing parcels mature differently than those facing northwest. In the space of 24 hours, the ripeness can change, adding another layer to the complex ballet of wine production.
One of Ortiz’s prized parcels is typically harvested within a tight window of 26-27 hours, with the goal of achieving 13 percent alcohol, leading to a final fermentation of 14 percent. This early harvest in late August, rather than the traditional October harvest, is driven by the need to maintain optimal pH levels rather than phenolic ripeness.
Confronted with the potential risk of greenness in wine due to early harvesting, Ortiz assured us that as long as the pH is kept under control, the wine maintains its balance and avoids becoming overly vegetal. He further noted that larger, younger grapes often have greener stems. The stems are integral to wines like Carignan. Their inclusion aids maturity and provides the necessary structure for a longer life, both in the barrel and the bottle. This not only enhances acidity but also mitigates humidity, bestowing an appealing sense of freshness.
Due to his preference for only harvesting what he refers to as ‘dry’ grapes (those picked and edible directly from the vine), the low yields can become an added challenge. The very selective triage means that fewer grapes end in the fermentation tank, increasing the price point of his wine and making the job more labour intensive. The harvesting period demands a crew of 20, tirelessly labouring for eight hours a day, over the course of 25 demanding days.
In the scorching heat of the region, where the mercury can soar up to 35 degrees, the grapes are swiftly transported to a massive freezer, where they are chilled at a steady minus four degrees for a whole day. This technique preserves the freshness of the grapes, which is crucial for avoiding unwanted aromas that can arise from fermenting at such high temperatures and are hard to regulate with cooling methods alone. For Ortiz, making wine is not just a matter of production, but a careful art of shaping a body and density that gives the wine a distinctive and unique personality.
Emerging from 24 hours in the cold room, the grapes then progress to a naturally temperature-regulated selection area, where summer temperatures hover around a comfortable 21 to 22 degrees. This then allows for a processing rate of 3,200 kilos in a span of 8 to 10 hours.
Fermentation
“Spontaneous fermentation,” Carles asserts, is a key factor in understanding the personality of his wines.
This process involves adjusting the winemaking to the yeast’s behaviour, which varies daily, but also every vintage. The native yeast originates from the soil and the grape skin, and thus reflects their unique character. As a result, each vintage has a distinctive voice that expresses itself through the wine, without any artificial interference from Carles. By not using chemicals in his viticulture, in fact, he tries to amplify this voice.
To truly grasp the depth of his work, Ortiz presents the 2018 vintage as an illustrative example. The final alcohol fermentation of this vintage occurred a full 24 months after. This lengthy, spontaneous process of fermentation, not bound by predetermined timeframes, can span around 50 days. As Ortiz elucidates, one day the yeast can be quick, the next it may be slower, and this capricious behaviour ultimately determines the final outcome. With some barrels taking eight months and others only 25 days, the rhythm of fermentation gives each bottle of Nin-Ortiz wine its unique character.
Use of sulphur
There’s a noticeable avoidance of interventionist techniques, such as machinery and additives. Carles takes a minimalist approach, emphasizing the vintage.
The use of sulphur, though, necessitates a more nuanced conversation. Sulphur usage, according to Carles, depends on the age of the wine. A ten-year-old wine requires more sulphur than a one-month-old bottle. He clarifies that the right quantity of sulphur helps maintain the wine’s vibrant life, preventing bacteria and harmful organisms that could trigger oxidation and, consequently, a shift in colour.
At his winery, the typical sulphur content of the wines is 30 mg per litre, though it can be as low as 20 mg and occasionally reaches 40 mg. The deciding factor is the vintage quality.
Élevage
Concerning the élevage, Carles is very specific with the wood, using only Canadian white oak. Obtaining these barrels can be an ordeal in itself. Over the last five years he has only managed to purchase three.
Carles’s conscientious approach extends to the ageing of his wines as well. He believes in granting some of his vintages the time they deserve before release. His wine cellars, repositories of the best vintages, may cradle the wines for three to five years, thereby ensuring a careful, unhurried evolution.
The winery
With financial constraints and a lack of familial backing, this ambitious endeavour didn’t always follow a simple linear trajectory. Before the construction of the winery in 2019, Nin-Ortiz’s unconventional operations were scattered across five locations within a kilometre of Porrera. Tractors, barrels, and grapes criss-crossed the landscape, often turning local roads into an impromptu construction site. The coordination of tasks, ranging from setting up generators to transporting materials, was a fascinating exhibition of organised chaos.
On days when grapes were loaded, the streets briefly transformed into a loading bay, interrupting traffic for about 20 minutes. Similarly, the street was blocked during the bottling process, becoming a week-long spectacle. Trucks and vehicles would arrive at dawn, bearing corks, labels, and boxes to be dispatched around the world.
The success of their wines would allow them to eventually build a proper winery overlooking the Planetes vineyards. Built entirely from the local rocks, the structure seamlessly blends with the landscape. The beautiful cellar dug into the ground showcases the rocky soils of Priorat.
Production:
Due to financial difficulties, their first wine—a batch of Planetes—had a limited production of only 900 bottles in 2008.
However, an expansion of the vineyard on the same mountain in 2010 dramatically increased their production capabilities. A timely loan increased their output from a modest 900 to a more substantial 4,000 bottles.
Additionally, an acquisition in Mas d’en Caçador added another 100 metres to their oldest vineyard, boasting 120-year-old Garnacha Peluda, Grenache and Carignan, including the single white variant. Originally, the wine here was exclusively made from Garnacha Peluda. However, since 2010, the blend also carries Grenache and Carignan with stems.
Since 2017, Nin-Ortiz has produced two distinct wines from that vineyard, Mas d’en Caçador and La Rodeda, the latter a particular plot of Mas d’en Caçador on costers facing northeast. Production of La Rodeda is an exclusive affair, limited to just 325 bottles per year.
The tasting
We finished our fascinating four-hour-visit with a tasting, which unfortunately had to be cut short to run to meet with Enric Soler.
| Nin-Ortiz – Terra Vermella 2019 | |
|---|---|
| From Ester’s family vineyards in El Pla de Manlleu, Penedès. High altitude (>500m) Parellada. | |
| Nose: | Very aromatic. Fly spray character similar to Australian Semillon, aromas that appear with age as Riesling’s petrol, and white flowers. |
| Palate: | On the palate, the first sensation is apples, green and yellow. The midpalate is then driven by those tertiary petrol-like aromas, white flowers and tons of salinity. Very fun wine, Carles compares it with Savignin (in fact, he intends to make a vin Jaune some day). Complex, citric and saline finish. |
| Structure: | Medium alcohol, medium body, high racy acid, dry. Long finish. |
| Nin-Ortiz – Planetes Carinyena Blanca 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Nose: | Semi-aromatic wine. Notes of yellow pear, lemon and as it warms up quince. No oak. |
| Palate: | One of the better vintages for this variety. Nice concentration with tons of tension. Green apples on the attack with quince and a touch of salt in the midpalate. The finish also shows a citric profile. For us, blind, this could be confused for a white Loire. |
| Structure: | Very high acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, dry. Medium finish. |
| Nin-Ortiz – Planetes de Nin Clàssic 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Nose: | Very aromatic. Fragrant fresh red fruit: raspberry and red cherries. Not what one would expect from Priorat. On the back end, black pepper and sage. |
| Palate: | Where is the alcohol? We don’t know, such a lightness and freshness is impressive (40% of Carinyena helps we guess). The red fruit we found in the nose is accompanied here in the attack by a slightly darker cherry note. The midpalate shows the magic of this wine. Iron, black pepper and even a more perfumed pink pepper. Very complex! Carles Ortiz claims that his wines require a couple of years from harvest to express this terroir character. |
| Structure: | Crisp, high alcohol, medium body, very fine medium tannins. Long finish. |
| Nin-Ortiz – Planetes de Nin 2014 | |
|---|---|
| In 2014 this was the single bottling of Planetes, before they started doing two bottlings, one aged in amphora. | |
| Nose: | A bit more restrained than 2020. Darker fruit (dark cherries and blackberries) accompanied by leather and a mild undergrowth. The fruit is very much alive still and remains the dominant note. |
| Palate: | The alcohol feels like what it should (14.5%, as the 2020, but with more Carinyena! 60%). The fruit is riper and warmer. The freshness of the 2020 is not here, but there is still balance. The midpalate shows iron, undergrowth and a lot of leather, a note that lingers through the finish along some spice. |
| Structure: | Crisp, high alcohol, full body, powdery chewy medium tannins. Long finish. |
Footnotes
- As long as the environment is respected, beyond any vision or philosophy, what matters to us in the end is the quality of the wine.
- Author’s opinion: We do not promote homeopathy, it does not work. Please go to a medical doctor instead. Of course, we respect Carles and Ester’s beliefs.
- Lllicorella is slate or schist depending on which period of the Carboniferous they developed.
- The use of Bordeaux bottles had become the norm.