Wine by the winery Cal Pla

Cal Pla is one of those old family wineries that survived the devastating plague of phylloxera in an environment as inhospitable as Priorat. The winery was built in 1814 as an extension of the manor house of the family Pla i Monlleó, which, as generations went by, derived in the current family surname Sangenís. The old winery still has the old arches, interesting images painted on the walls, and it even maintains many of the century-old barrels that served several generations to produce their wine.

History of the winery

Cal Pla is located in the town of Porrera, although it is currently distributed in four locations, scattered around the town, some of them also belonging to the family. In Cal Pla never stopped making more or less quantities of wines. However, it was in 1996 when the young Joan Sangenís, with oenology studies, made an abrupt turn when he created the brand and bottled his first wines. This coinciding with the winemaking change that was being carried out in those years in Priorat. The winery is equipped with all the modern elements for the production of wines, both whites and reds, with destemming machines, presses, stainless steel vats, large wooden foudres and cement deposits covered with epoxy paint in which the alcoholic fermentation is carried out for wines with a larger production.

The winery 25 hectares of vineyards, distributed in several farms. The wines from the winery Cal Pla are made from grapes of the varieties Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the whites Grenache, Maccabeu, Xarello, Picapoll and Muscat. In some cases, the vineyards are centuries old.  

Work philosophy

The harvest is carried out in boxes, in the younger vines, and in baskets on the terraces, where the older vines are located. In their vineyards some really spectacular plots stand out, like the one of Mas d'en Caçador, a mountain planted mostly with old Grenache and Carignan, on very steep hills, where they practice the so-called "heroic viticulture".

Joan Sangenís is now immersed in restoring and recovering the farmhouse Mas d'en Compte to build a new winery and to centralise the facilities that Cal Pla has all around the town of Porrera. The farmhouse, documented since the 17th century, is located about four kilometres from Porrera and forms part of an agricultural farm of 66,149 m2 where the vine is cultivated on licorella terraces.
It is a large construction, formed by a main building of three stories, an attic and several other buildings that surround it, adding up to 1,396 built square metres. It is protected as a Cultural Property of Local Interest (BCIL), so it has been necessary for the Territorial Planning Commission of Tarragona to finally approve the new project in June of 2016. The Territorial Planning Commission has valued the logistics improvement that comes with concentrating the cultivation and the facilities for wine production in one place for the company Cal Pla. It also appreciates that the proposed constructions constitute a well integrated set, adjusted to the rural environment and projected with landscape integration criteria.

Wines from Cal Pla

Cal Pla Blanco is made with 40% of Maccabeu, 30% of White Grenache and 30% of Muscat, although the percentages in all wines vary according to the harvest. They are 15-year-old vineyards, oriented to the south-west, on slate soils, with an altitude of 300 metres and an average production of 1.5 kg per vine. The grapes macerate one day with the skins, fermentation takes place in deposits at a controlled temperature, and they remain for 5 months with their lees in new French and Hungarian oak barrels. A white wine with a golden-amber colour, very complex on the nose. Dried fruits, wood-fired oven bread, and green almond notes.

Cal Pla Tinto is made with 60% Grenache and 40% Carignan from 10-year-old vineyards, oriented to the north-west, planted on terraces on slate soil, with an altitude of 450 metres and an average yield of 1.5 kg per vine. The grapes macerate for 30 days with their skins, the fermentation is carried out in deposits at a controlled temperature and they remain for 12 months in second-use barrels, 60% French oak and 40% American oak. In this wine, the fruit prevails over the notes of its ageing in barrels, which is perceived more in the mouth, with some balsamic and spicy hints.

Mas d'en Compte Blanco was born from a coupage of 50% White Grenache, 25% Picapoll Blanco and 25% Xarello, from 15-year-old vineyards, oriented to the south-west, planted on slate soils, at an altitude of 300 metres and an average yield of 1.5 kg per vine. The grapes macerate for one day with their skins, the fermentation and the ageing is carried out for 6 months with its lees in new barrels, 70% French oak and 30% American oak. Its aromas are very complex, apricot, ripe peach, connotations of honey and roasting. In the mouth it is dense, long and elegant.

Mas d’en Compte Tinto is made with 50% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, from 15-year-old vineyards, in the case of Cabernet and Grenache, and 60-year-old vineyards in the case of Carignan, oriented to the north-east, planted on terraces on slate soil, with an altitude of 450 metres and an average yield of 1.5 kg per vine. The grapes macerate for 30 days with their skins, the fermentation is carried out in deposits at a controlled temperature and they remain for 14 months in new barrels, 70% French oak and 30% American oak. Aromas of wild fruit, undergrowth and minerality, with nuances of cocoa and cinnamon. Ample mid-palate with good tannic and maturity, fruity aftertaste and long finish. Curiously, the 2009 vintage of this wine got 96 Parker Points, only surpassed in Priorat by Clos Martinet.

Planots is its Premium wine, with a very limited production. It is made with an average of 50% of Grenache and 50% of Carignan. In warmer years the Carignan is more abundant, and in cooler years, the Grenache. The vineyards were planted by Joan Sangenís' grandfather 100 years ago, facing south, on sloping slate soils, at an altitude of 500 metres and with an average yield of 0.5 kg per vine. The grapes macerate for 30 days with their skins, the fermentation is carried out in deposits at a controlled temperature and they remain for 16 months in new French oak barrels. Very complex and expressive, with aromas of black ripe fruits, mountain grass, liquorice and chocolate, with mineral notes. Very structured and dense in the mouth, with good integration of notes of fruit, fine woods and minerals.