Mas Candí Ovella Negra

The black sheep of the family is here to show the world what it is made of. There is a small, 60-year-old vineyard lying in the heart of Penedès, (Catalonia) growing a total of 226 Garnacha Blanca vines. These vines have always been hated because of how difficult they are to cultivate. But now, taking a new approach and using great sensitivity, winemakers have managed to produce Mas Candí Ovella Negra, an unusual and very personal wine.

The brains behind this viticultural reinvention are Ramon Galimany, Toni Carbó, Mercè Cuscó and Ramon Jané. A group of daring and well-prepared youngsters who decided to make their own wines from their grandparents’ vineyards under the name Mas Candí. Recovering the native varieties in danger of extinction, working with the landscape and by hand and avoiding the use of chemical products are this group’s three main priorities.

Once they have grown lively, organic grapes, these are taken to the winery and destemmed and macerated for 1 week in contact with its skins. Mas Candí Ovella Negra undergoes spontaneous alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks, spending 6 months in these same tanks with its fine lees.  Finally, the wine is bottled without filtering, clarifying or adding sulphites.

The result of all this work is Mas Candí Ovella Negra. A very Mediterranean orange wine that doesn’t fit into any trends, but is designed to be enjoyed. Never has the black sheep of the family been so good.