Don Carles Vins is the wine project of the Wijnen family, originally from Amersfoort in the Netherlands, based at the Mas Gran estate within DO Montsant. The vineyard was first planted in 1939 by the Fonseca family, and in 2005 Charles G. T. Wijnen - who had a long career in hospitality and the wine trade, including time at Martini & Rossi - bought the property and set about restoring it, rebuilding stone terraces and access paths across the 50-hectare estate, of which 24 hectares are planted with vines; the property also holds around 2,000 olive trees, some between 300 and 850 years old.
Mas Gran grows varieties including Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache Noir, Grenache Blanc, Macabeu, Tempranillo and Syrah. Under its own name the winery produces four Priorat wines and three Montsant wines, while also acting as exclusive distributor for Celler L'Encastell and Celler Ardèvol. Its flagship red, Mas Gran, blends Grenache, Tempranillo and Syrah fermented variety by variety and left unoaked, aiming for a fresh, fruit-forward style.
The winery mentions recognition at the Decanter Awards and describes its goal as the continuous improvement of complexity and balance in its wines.
Imatge: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Sources: topwines4u.com · topwines4u.com · topwines4u.com