Familia Nin Ortiz (Catalunya)

Back to the Roots

El Pla de Manlleu lies in the Catalan hinterland, far removed from the bustle of the coast. This is where Ester Nin was born in 1972, where the old vines stand that she and Carles Ortiz have been cultivating since 2008. Whilst their main estate Familia Nin Ortiz in Priorat has long since achieved cult status, this Catalan project is more intimate, more personal – Ester’s homecoming to the landscape of her childhood. The family had owned land here for generations, but viticulture had been all but forgotten. Ester and Carles brought the old parcels back to life.

750 Metres Above the Mediterranean

The one hectare below the Castillo de Selma sits at 750 metres altitude – considerably higher than most vineyards in Priorat. Clay and limestone characterise the soils, whilst the cool nights of the hinterland preserve a freshness that would be unthinkable on the Mediterranean coast. The temperature differences between day and night often reach 20 degrees, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly whilst retaining their acidity. The grape varieties – Macabeu, Sumoll, Garnacha – are not international stars, but Catalan originals with deep roots in local tradition.

Biodynamics Without Compromise

As in Priorat, Ester and Carles work strictly biodynamically here too. The vines are tended according to the lunar calendar, preparations made from yarrow, chamomile and nettle strengthen the natural balance. No herbicides, no pesticides, no irrigation – the plants must drive their roots deep into the soil to survive. This philosophy continues in the cellar: spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, minimal sulphur, no fining, no filtration. The wines are living, sometimes idiosyncratic, always honest. La Patience in Languedoc works with similar uncompromising principles.

Three Wines, Three Stories

The Selma is a complex white wine made from Macabeu with skin contact – named after the castle that towers above the vineyards. Eight months‘ maturation in 300-litre barrels lends it texture and depth without heaviness. The Selma Ancestral is an unfiltered Pétillant Naturel without dosage – living sparkling wine as the region has known it for centuries, long before industrial Cava arrived. And the Terra Vermella combines Sumoll and Garnacha into a juicy red wine that carries its name – „Red Earth“ – in every sip.

Beyond the Appellation

These wines bear no famous designation of origin. They are simply Vino de España – and precisely for this reason, free. Free from regulations that prescribe certain grape varieties or methods, free from expectations tied to established appellations, free to show the terroir of El Pla de Manlleu as Ester and Carles understand it. Production remains tiny: a few thousand bottles per year, for those who wish to discover Catalunya beyond Cava and Priorat.