Ferrer Bobet

Ferrer Bobet is all about respect. Respect for the long traditions of vine-growing and wine-making in the Priorat. Respect for the social and economic development of this special region in the south of Catalonia. The mutual respect of two old friends, Sergi Ferrer-Salat and Raül Bobet, both passionate about the world and culture of wine. And respect for wine lovers looking for a Priorat that reflects, with purity and harmony, the distinctive mineral essence of the land that produced it. In 2008, the first two wines, Ferrer Bobet Vinyes Velles 2005 and Ferrer Bobet Selecció Especial Vinyes Velles 2005, were released, made with grapes from some of the oldest vines in the Priorat. These two wines were the first fruits of a dream that started at the turn of the century. The first steps on an intense and fascinating journey.

Ferrer Bobet is located in the Porrera region, amid beautiful natural surroundings that boast a number of advantages for viticulture and were in fact pivotal in the decision to opt for these lands. Porrera is one of the coolest parts of the Priorat, thanks largely to the marked influence of north-easterly winds, with a subtle moderating effect from the Mediterranean, and its topography, characterized by some of the highest and steepest vineyards in the appellation. These factors combine to create strong temperature variations between night and day which guarantee optimal phenolic ripening and the preservation of acidity, freshness and aromas. Likewise, its multiple aspects create a rich diversity of mesoclimates and offer the opportunity to create wines of particular complexity and depth. At Ferrer Bobet, all of this is combined with almost exclusively slate soils, known locally as llicorella, which are a feature of only the top vineyards in the Priorat and which play such a key part in the unique personality of these wines.

Ferrer Bobet’s own vineyards were planted near the winery in 2004 and 2005 with Carinyena, Garnatxa Negra, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Viognier and Roussane. These vines stand on slopes and terraces which were carefully selected after exhaustive edaphological and adaptability studies. For each variety, only use low vigour rootstocks and clones, aiming for perfectly balanced vines. The grapes from these vineyards, together with other exceptional young vines from around Porrera, will finally see the light of day in 2015 with the release of our third wine, Ferrer Bobet. Of the estate’s seventy hectares, only fifteen have been planted, in line with their respect for the biodiversity of this unique countryside. And there is one more feature which is absolutely fundamental for them: strictly organic viticulture which completely excludes the use of insecticides and herbicides.

Only respectful and painstaking viticulture will result in the finest fruit, the cornerstone of the quality and typicity of the wine. So the winery has been meticulously built to a design that guarantees an optimal workflow, using gravity to run the whole winemaking process, from fruit reception to bottling. Begin vinification with 10kg harvesting crates and then rigorously select the grapes berry by berry on a double sorting table. Fermentation takes place in small 15 and 30 hectolitre vats, so that each parcel can be vinified individually. Most of the vats are made from oak, a key factor in improving the wine’s structure and its integration with the wood. The wines are aged in fine-grained French oak barriques during a minimum period of fifteen months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in order to preserve their organoleptic qualities.