Sangenis i Vaqué

The extraordinary terroir of Priorat is home to the Catalan winery Sangenís I Vaqué, dedicated to producing wines of great depth, characterized by a style that combines tradition and modernity. It was in 1978 when the spouses Pere Sangenís and Conxita Vaqué began planting vineyards within the area of Porrera, a municipality located on the eastern slope of the Priorat territory, which, along with Rioja, represents Spain's only DOCa, attesting to the oenological value of the area. The lands where the couple planted the vines had belonged to Pere's family since before the 17th century and had always been dedicated to viticulture. In 1979, Pere and Conxita began vinifying in the ancient cellar of Josep Simó, Conxita's grandfather, who was a wine producer and merchant. Today, the Sangenís-Vaqué couple is joined by their young daughters, Maria and Nuria.

The 15 hectares of vineyards that make up the Sangenís I Vaqué estate are primarily reserved for the local varieties Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena, and Garnacha Blanca, alongside smaller percentages of international grape varieties such as Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah. The plants are cultivated following the principles of organic agriculture on the steep slopes of the Porrera area, composed of the famous llicorella, a type of soil rich in black and red slate. In addition to the unique pedological matrix, what contributes to the quality of the wines in the region are the sea breezes from the nearby Mediterranean Sea, which help mitigate the summer heat during the ripening period of the grapes. Harvesting is done by hand in crates with careful selection, while in the cellar, fermentations take place in old underground tanks lined with ceramic, locally called "cubs", accompanied by prolonged macerations on the skins that can last up to 40 days. For aging, French oak barrels from Allier are used, with small percentages of American oak as well, and the wines are finally bottled without any clarification or filtration.

Founded on red wines, the production of Sangenís I Vaqué expresses all the elegance and smoothness of Priorat wines, also endowed with irresistible aromas of ripe fruit and spices.