Eduard Pie Palomar was born and raised in the village of Bonastre in the lower Penedes close to the Mediterranean Sea, and is intent on championing the indigenous grape varieties of his homeland. Growing up in a farming family, he has been working the vines since 2009 after studying viticulture and enology and apprenticing at Jane Ventura, and currently works 11ha (7 family-owned plus 4 rented). He doesn’t till his vineyards, instead letting the native flora and fauna thrive, which keeps the soil teeming with beneficial microorganisms. He vinifies by parcel, fermenting in clay amphora, both in the cellar of the family winery and buried between the rows of vines in his vineyards, often with two cuvees from the same parcel (the buried fermentations are noted by “Sons” on the labels).
The Wines
Cartoixa is white wine produced from a 70-80 year old southeast facing parcel of Xarel-lo called ‘El Mas’ that sits on calcareous soils at 200 meters elevation. The wine sees a short maceration on the skins, ferments in anfora, and then rests in stainless steel tank on the lees (without battonage) before it is bottled without clarification or stabilization and minimal SO2 addition.
Cartoixa Brisat could be classified as an orange wine. It comes from a south-facing 30-year-old vineyard called ‘La Pallissa’, planted on loamy, calcareous soils. There are about 12 days skin contact without pigeage in steel vat before the must finishes fermentation in clay amphora. The wine sees a further aging of a few months in steel vat and bottled without clarification or stabilization.
Hidra is an conferment made with all of the varieties that Eduard works with: it is the musts from the red varieties (Garrut and Sumoi) infused in the juice of the white varieties (Cartoixà, Cartoixà Marí, Malvasia, and Macabeu) for 1-4 months, then rested in amphora and stainless steel before bottling.
Garrut is a red wine produced from a 40-year-old Monastrell vineyard planted at 230 meters elevation called “L’Obaga del Gujo”. There are about 12 days skin contact without pigeage in steel vat before the must finishes fermentation in clay amphora. The wine sees a further aging of a few months in steel vat and bottled without clarification or stabilization.
