Ancestral Fa Sere

Ancestral Fa Sère 2021

Region: Spain, Catalonia

Grape: Macabeo

Color: White, slightly sparkling

The perfect season for sparkling wine. A superb bottle for enjoying outdoors, as refreshing as cider!

Pale, slightly cloudy golden color with aromas of mandarin orange and apricot.

Strong, lively bubbles with sweet fruit flavors like ripe white peach and apple. The finish has a hint of bitter citrus, making it a versatile bottle suitable for both aperitifs and meals.

Fa Sère is a local Catalan term for the north wind, which protects the vineyards from mildew. Macabeo grown in limestone and red clay soils is destemmed, macerated, then pressed. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, and the wine is bottled while residual sugar remains, leading to in-bottle fermentation and aging.

Unfiltered, unfined, and no added SO2.

【Producer Information】

Vega Aixalà is run by female winemaker Eva in DO Conca de Barberà. The winery's name is a combination of her father's surname (Vega) and her mother's surname (Aixalà).

When it comes to pioneers of natural wine in Catalonia, names like Mendall from Tarragona, Escoda from DO Conca de Barberà, and Jordi Llorens often come up. My encounter with Eva was at Salon H2O (Vegetal) in 2017, an event hosted by Mendall and Escoda every summer. While visiting Jordi Llorens's booth and chatting with him, he suggested, "You should try her wine too. We even make a limited magnum white cuvée together," pointing to the adjacent booth. That was the start of our connection.

The following year, in June 2018, I made my first visit to her bodega. The drive up involved continuously ascending mountain roads, making me wonder how much higher we would go. We arrived at a tiny, quiet mountain village that seemed to have been forcibly built on a slope, with not a single person walking around.

When she answered the knock at the door, she smiled shyly and said, "I can't believe you actually came all the way from Japan!" She was genuinely delighted by the visit.

First, we got into her truck and toured the vineyards. I was captivated by the beautiful scenery, moved by the tranquility, and impressed by their efforts in cultivating the slate soil.

The history of the bodega began in 2003. Eva and her father, Jose, decided to revive grape growing on land where her grandfather had once made wine, which had been abandoned for many years. It was where Eva grew up and where her grandfather had traditionally made wine. For both of them, preserving this land and reviving grape cultivation and winemaking was a long-held dream. Of course, they also understood that this land was special for grape growing.

However, realizing this dream was extremely difficult. The revival of the bodega began with clearing steep slopes at an altitude of 850-900m and planting 800 grapevines. In 2004, another 1000 vines were planted, and over three years until 2006, they gradually developed the current 10-hectare vineyard from this mountaintop wilderness, which seemed impossible for humans to cultivate.

Today, as seen in the photos, the vineyards are beautifully terraced, resembling a mortar and pestle, set against a stunning landscape.

Naturally, they have adhered to organic farming since the first year in 2003.

The grapes are planted on steep slopes at an altitude of 850-900m in the Montsant mountains, precisely between the plains of Conca de Barberà and Priorat. Just 7km away in a straight line lies the prestigious Priorat region. The soil is the same mineral-rich slate (schist) as Priorat. The rare rainfall in this region trickles deep into the ground through the slate, and the grape roots stretch deeply in search of scarce water and nutrients, resulting in wines with distinctive minerality and concentration. The reflective properties of the slate also have a very positive effect on photosynthesis and grape ripening.

In addition to the high altitude, the climate is continental with very little rainfall throughout the year (average approximately 330ml/year), and surrounded by mountains, dry winds blow. It's an excellent location with no concerns about downy mildew.

Furthermore, the temperature difference between day and night is very significant (typically, summer highs reach 33 degrees Celsius, and lows are 15-18 degrees), allowing the grapes to ripen slowly while retaining acidity.

All of her wines are named "Emma," after her daughter. Although there are over 10 different cuvées from her 10-hectare vineyard, the Emma series consists of what would be called "vin nature" in France, with no fining, filtration, or added sulfites. She is particular about macerating white wines and aging red wines in amphorae, resulting in wines characterized by honest and beautiful fruit flavors, supple acidity, and soft minerality.

Her wines are born from a magnificent terroir, combined with her delicate, sincere, and immense efforts.