With the harvesting of the coastal Mataró variety, grapes intended for the production of our emblematic Alta Alella Dolç Mataró, we have concluded our 2024 harvest!

2024 has been a year of a return to ‘normality’ in many respects. After years of extreme drought, the rains finally came – much needed especially by the older vines with the deepest roots which had suffered more water stress until now–,  and we’ve experienced more moderate temperatures.

The favourable conditions during the vegetative period already gave us a good indication of a great vintage ahead marked by very good vine health.  Harvesting started later than in recent years with the first grapes harvested on the 5th of August. The dry and hot climate at the time also resulted in good ripening of the early varieties.

From the beginning of September, the drop in temperature and the return of the rains prolonged the ripening of the late varieties, with the thermal jump between day and night favouring the aroma metabolism and colour of the grapes. This also helped preserve their acidity; a very positive element especially for the red and white varieties destined for the wines made for ageing.

Our harvest concluded with weather conditions more characteristic of autumn, unlike in recent years, bringing us, together with the factors mentioned above, a vintage where the vines produced fewer grapes (due to the years of drought we’ve experienced), but of a high quality and very good plant health overall.

Although we now have no more grapes left in the vineyards, the work in the cellar continues: fermentations, macerations, racking and bâtonnage… onward!

We are thrilled to announce that on Monday, August 5th, we harvested the first grapes from our vineyards, which marks the beginning of the 2024 harvest! After months of work and commitment in the vineyard, it has arrived the most awaited and special season of the year.

Following years of extreme drought, in 2024 nature has given us a precious gift: the rain. It has finally rained in quantity and at the right time for the vineyard, especially for the oldest vines, which have the deepest roots and had suffered the most from hydric stress until now.

Due to the years of drought, the plants have produced fewer grapes, but of very high quality. The favorable conditions for the vines during the growing season have resulted in a magnificent vintage with impeccable health.

The first grapes collected will be used to produce our cavas. Once the harvest has begun, we will gradually pick the different vineyards, checking the optimum ripeness of each variety with daily controls. So far, we predict a fast harvest, in line with recent vintages.

• The winery’s inclusion in Grandes Pagos de España reinforces our commitment to quality and the production of honest wines that capture the characteristics of the terroir and the vintage.

• The Pujol-Busquets family, with a firm commitment to the territory and integral winemaking, also announces a new investment that will expand its vineyards to 90 hectares.

We are delighted to announce that Alta Alella has officially joined the prestigious Grandes Pagos de España(GPE) association. This non-profit organization brings together renowned wineries that produce wines in perfect harmony with the soil, nature, and climate of their vineyards.

“Becoming a member of Grandes Pagos de España is a significant achievement for us,” says Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets, our founder and winemaker. “It acknowledges our dedication to quality and authenticity, reinforcing our commitment to crafting wines that truly represent the unique characteristics of our terroir.”

Grandes Pagos de España sets rigorous admission standards, including the production of singular wines that reflect the terroir, respect for the typicity and origin of the estate, and the exclusivity of grapes from their own vineyards. We are proud that six of our wines and cavas have been included in this prestigious association: Alta Alella 10 2012, Alta Alella Mirgin Opus 2019, Alta Alella Mirgin Exeo 2017, Alta Alella Cau d’en Genís 2022, Alta Alella Lanius 2021, and Alta Alella Dolç Mataró 2020.

In addition to this exciting news, we are investing in new plantations located in the Serralada de Marina Natural Park, expanding our vineyard area to 90 hectares in the upcoming years. This expansion not only increases our production capacity but also helps preserve one of the most emblematic wine regions near Barcelona. “Our vineyards are the lungs of Barcelona,” says Mireia Pujol-Busquets, deputy director and second generation of the winery. “We winegrowers play a key role in the conservation and management of the territory, especially in areas threatened by urban pressure.”

At Alta Alella, we remain dedicated to producing exceptional wines that reflect the richness and diversity of our territory. We look forward to continuing our journey alongside the distinguished members of Grandes Pagos de España, promoting the diversity and richness of our winemaking heritage.

On June 10, we celebrated 23 vintages with a unique event that promotes the heritage of time, the natural commitment and the richness of Alella’s terroir. Located in the heart of the Cordillera de Marina Natural Park, amongst vineyards and with spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea, various wine figures, sommeliers and critics were able to enjoy short cinematographic films, paired with original plates and wines and cavas from the ‘library’ of the Pujol-Busquets Guillén family, especially selected for the occasion.

Mireia Pujol-Busquets presenting the evening – Miriam Clotet

Wines and cavas from exceptional vintages

The night’s protagonists were the wines and cavas from old vintages that had rested patiently until now in the family’s ‘library’ and have been uncorked exclusively for the celebration. Some with up to 21 years of ageing, these are wines to which time has conferred complexity and elegance, while maintaining a surprising freshness thanks to the particularities of the Alella area’s terroir. The vineyards grow in Sauló, a sandy granitic soil that gives the wines an exceptional natural acidity, and less than 2 km from the Mediterranean sea.

• Alta Alella 10, 2012: A collectible cava with a minimum of 10 years ageing, awarded as the best cava for 3 years in a row by the Peñín Guide (97/100 points), best sparkling wine by Vivir el vino (99/ 100 points), amongst other distinctions.
• Aus Bruant, 2018: Made with Pansa Blanca and pioneer in its category, it was the first cava without sulfites ever made, back in 2006.
• Alta Alella Cau d’en Genís, 2017 (Magnum): Made in cement egg (Oeuf de Beaune), it represents the traditional Pansa Blanca variety at its best. It is fresh, mineral and elegant.
• Alta Alella Lanius, 2003: The essence of Alella expressed through Chardonnay ripeness and wood fermentation.
• Alta Alella Orbus, 2003: Mediterranean Syrah with 14 months of barrel ageing, expressing the freshness of the land by the sea. It is made only in cool vintages, with a climate more typical of continental areas.
• Alta Alella Dolç Mataró, 2010: Emblematic sweet wine from the winery, made with the traditional Mataró grape variety. It is listed in some of the best restaurants in the world.

Wines and cavas from old vintages – Miriam Clotet

A unique and sensorial experience

VINEMA is an original idea from Mireia Pujol-Busquets and documentary filmmaker Pau Sanclemente, which combines wine, gastronomy and cinema. An innovative approach that emphasizes local and sustainable products, seeking an emotional and sensorial impact on the audience. A demonstration of our passion for creating unforgettable moments and a new way of understanding and enjoying wine, beyond the glass. To innovate without losing sight of our roots and respect for the environment.

On this occasion, an inflatable screen powered by photovoltaic solar energy from Ecocinema, a production company that uses film as a communication tool and positive social impact, was installed on the winery’s terrace. Works by renowned filmmakers such as Neus Ballús with ‘Blow!’, nominated for the Gaudí and Goya awards, Javier Barbero Montes with ‘Siembra’ or Joan Bover with ‘Dear Michael’ were projected. Each of them, six in total, was paired with an original plate by chef Miquel Antoja, inspired by the different short films, and one of Alta Alella’s wines. The idea with this pairing is to ‘eat and watch the wine’, while you drink it. A 360º experience that activates all the senses and in which everything is connected.

Alta Alella Cau d’en Genís 2017 Màgnum & ‘Egg inside and egg’ – Pol Farrarons

And 23 harvests later, we maintain the same enthusiasm and passion we started with.

Find out what the media are saying:

• Montserrat Serra a Vilaweb: “Vins de llarga criança d’Alta Alella mariden amb cinema i gastronomia” –  Read it now
• Ramon Roset a VadeVi: “Alta Alella fa una celebració de cine de les seves 23 veremes” – Read it now
• La Vanguardia: “Alta Alella obre al públic la seva ‘vibilioteca’ i comercialitzarà vins i caves embotellats fa més de 20 anys” – Read it now
• Revista Origen: “Alta Alella Mirgin celebra sus 23 vendimias” – Read it now
• Laia Martínez / ACN a Badalona comunicació: “La privada i selecta Viblioteca d’Alta Alella obre les portes al públic” – Read it now
• Vinos y Restaurantes: “Alta Alella Mirgin celebra 23 vendimias con un maridaje de cine” – Read it now

The harvest is always the most special and important time in the winery, when we gather the fruits after a year of hard work and passion dedicated to the vineyard. We are thrilled to share with you the key points of the 2023 harvest:

Let’s start harvesting!
On July 31st, we picked the first grapes of the year, starting earliest harvest ever in the winery’s history.

Fist grapes of 2023 harvest (July 2023)

Drought impact on vineyards
This year’s growing season was marked by a rainfall that is more characteristic of a desert climate. This has led to irregular growth in the vineyards, especially in the older vines. The roots of the older vines are deeper and, as we have had years of drought, they have practically no water and it is more difficult for them to develop. The younger vines, on the other hand, root closer to the surface and have been able to take advantage of the low quantity of water that has fallen. Also, the vines at the edges of the vineyard have grown more than those in the middle, as the roots have had to compete less for the nutrients.

Image showing the irregular growth of the vineyard (June 2023)

Meticulous selection in the vineyard
Due to the conditions described, the vines have produced very different grapes and it will be a year of careful selection and picking the same vineyard multiple times to ensure that all the grapes are at their optimum ripeness. A task that we are able to carry out at Alta Alella because we harvest entirely by hand, and we have a team that knows the vineyard well, as it is the same one that looks after it throughout the year.

Picture of the Paraje Calificado Vallcirera with Can Genís in the background (August 2023)

Maximum enthusiasm: the time has come to reap the benefits of the work carried out with effort and dedication to the vineyard throughout the year. 

On August 8th, we kicked off an extraordinarily early harvest, marked by drought and high temperatures during the growing season, with yields slightly lower than the usual average. As the ripening degrees of the varieties were overlapping each other, the harvest was accelerated to prevent the grapes from becoming raisined. All in all, we highlight an extraordinary balance regarding all the quality parameters of the grapes.

The Pujol-Busquets family is once again a pioneer regarding the guarantee, traceability, and quality of Cava thanks to the new Integral Producer stamp, in addition to the Cava de Paraje qualification already obtained when it was created. This distinction recognizes cavas 100% pressed and vinified on the winery’s property, the high quality of the product and their commitment to the territory

Alta Alella is once again a pioneer in the cava sector and reinforces its commitment to the guarantee, traceability, and quality of the product. The winery has already been recognized with the Cava de Paraje qualification since it was conceived, and now receives the new Integral Producer stamp certified by the Cava Regulatory Council. This stamp enables the customer to identify more easily those wineries of the D.O. Cava that carry out the entire Cava production process at their own estate, which implies a guarantee of product traceability. In this way, it certifies that the entire production of the Pujol-Busquets family is carried out on the property, without buying wine or bottles from other producers, and that their cavas are marketed under brands that are not shared with other cava producers. This measure is in addition to the recent changes in the zoning and segmentation of the DO, with the aim of promoting the status of cava.

The Integral Producer stamp implies rigorous compliance with the Regulatory Board’s requirements, which is a further step in the quality demands that Alta Alella imposes on itself for all its products. During the next days, the family will adapt the labelling of all its cavas to the regulations so that the bottles will bear the stamp.

Commitment to nature and the product

Cava is embarking on a new stage towards the elite and Alta Alella is an active part of this journey, being the precursor of each new quality qualification awarded by the Cava Regulatory Council. This is possible not only because of the quality of its cavas, but also because of its commitment to the origin, the land, and sustainability.

In July 2017, the winery was one of the first to obtain the Paraje Calificado certification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a recognition of the singularity of Paraje Vallcirera. That same year, we presented our two cavas certified with the Cava de Paraje Calificado Vallcirera seal: Alta Alella Mirgin Exeo and Alta Alella Mirgin Opus. In addition, Vallcirera is the only Paraje Calificado ecologic since the beginning, and located in a natural park. Now, at the beginning of 2022, the Pujol-Busquets family has also been honored with the rigorous Integral Producer stamp, a certification that only 13 of the 370 wineries that make Cava have received.