Metamorphika, 2022, Catalonia, Spain

Producer: Joan Franquet

Grape: Sumoll 

Scattered around Spain’s Tarragona province, centred around Conca de Barberà, are the 15 plots of Costa D’Or Terroirs Mediterrani (Costador), headed up by winemaker Joan Franquet. Joan farms all his vines organically, the only intervention in vineyard is the use of pheromones to repel pests, a little copper and sulphur if and when needed and sometimes the use of sodium bicarbonate to prevent powdery mildew.

This orange wine is 100% Sumoll, from old vines in the mountains of Conca de Barberà. Harvest takes place later than in most other parts of Cataluña, due to the much cooler microclimate in Conca de Barberà. Despite this Joan is forced to harvest a little earlier still than he’d like, due to the wild boar population that will ravage an entire plot, if its grapes were left to reach full maturity, in what seems like the blink of an eye. Once harvested the whole bunches are placed directly into amphora where they ferment whole. They are left in amphora for just over 12 weeks before the juice is then pressed out and passed back to amphora for another 6 months. Winter temperatures in Conca get very low which creates a perfect natural filtration process for the wine.