Costador Wines
Spain
Joan Franquet's Costador Wines operates from plots on a singular mountain in Catalunya using biodynamic vineyards of indigenous grapes. The majority of the vines range in age between 60 to 110 years, spanning multiple terroirs at high altitude.
Not only does Joan have the usual struggles of natural wine production but every single year he also has to race to complete his harvest. Starting the pick before his grapes reach full maturity is actually a necessity, as it saves them from the local boars, who come along and help themselves - to everything! If he was to wait just one week longer, they would devour the full 2 hectares. The years like 2022 where there is a drought, the wild animals take advantage of the unique way of drinking through the grapes, so he must advance his pick even earlier.
Even with all this to compete with his wines are true mountain wines, complex in flavour with a pronounced minerality that expresses the character of their diverse growth. Costador's Metamorphika wines begin and end the vinification process in clay, fermented in clay amphorae before being wax sealed into clay bottles that are as ornamental as they are drinkable. From Chenin to Trepat, Macabeu to Garnatxa, the care and consideration that goes into producing the wine just make them even more special.
