Celler Joan Simó is a family winery in Porrera founded in 1999 by Gerard Batllevell Simó, who converted the cellar of an old stone house known as Cal Ros, in the centre of the village, into a modern winery. His mother's family had viticultural roots in the area going back generations, though the craft of winemaking had lapsed and the grapes were being sold to the local cooperative; with the support of Gerard's father, his uncle Josep, winemaker Josep Àngel Mestres, and friend Toni Pena, the family produced its first vintage that same year.
The estate farms its own vineyards, including La Garranxa (planted 1999-2001 on terraces at around 600 metres elevation), Els Carners (with century-old Grenache and Carignan vines) and Tros Nou, spread between the municipalities of Porrera and Bellmunt del Priorat. The main varieties are Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, used for wines such as Les Sentius, Les Eres (a Vi de Vila of Porrera), Tros Nou (Vi de Vila) and, in very small quantities, Les Eres Especial dels Carners, from the old vines.
The winery describes its approach as making "wines of place," farming what it calls heroic viticulture on steep terraces, and overseeing the whole process from pruning to bottling. Wine-tourism visits are offered on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-2pm) by prior reservation.
Imatge: cellerjoansimo.com
Sources: cellerjoansimo.com · cellerjoansimo.com