Català
The 2024 harvest has undoubtedly been both a challenge and an opportunity for Clos Pons, one of the most prestigious wineries in Catalonia. In a recent interview, Clos Pons’ oenologists Daniel Deliberto and Martí Magriñà shared their impressions of the harvest, the impact of climate change, and the innovations they have implemented to ensure the best quality in their wines. This year’s harvest, marked by strategic decisions and unique climatic factors, promises great results for Clos Pons wines.
A shorter and staggered harvest
“It has been a shorter harvest this year,” says Deliberto. This decision was not by chance. The winery opted for a rigorous classification of its wines, dividing the plots based on their production. “We categorized the plots into those with higher production and others with lower production, which allowed us to optimize the process,” explained the Director of Oenology at Clos Pons.
The harvest was also influenced by the weather. “This has been a less warm year compared to others. This has made the harvest more staggered, not as concentrated in time as in other years,” adds Martí Magriñà. This slower process allowed Clos Pons to process the fruit more efficiently and calmly, achieving more precise control over the quality of the grapes.
Climate change and its effects on viticulture
Clos Pons’ oenologists shared their impressions of the 2024 harvest.
One of the major challenges currently facing wineries is climate change, and Clos Pons is no exception. “Climate change is the great challenge of recent years,” says Magriñà. The effects of this phenomenon result in grapes with lower acidity and higher alcohol content, forcing oenologists to adapt their production strategies.
One of Clos Pons’ responses has been the application of a rigorous irrigation plan throughout the growing cycle. “Irrigation has been a key tool to counteract the effects of the weather. Not only the quantity but also the timing of the irrigation allows us to control grape ripening and offset the effects of climate change,” explains Magriñà.
Wines with great concentration and elegance
Despite the difficulties imposed by the weather, the oenologists at Clos Pons are optimistic about the quality of this year’s wines. “Expectations are very high. We expect wines with great concentration and excellent fruit, elegant and with depth,” says Deliberto.
Clos Pons has made a great effort to classify and treat each of its vineyards differently, seeking to extract the maximum potential from each plot. “We have set out to extract the highest quality from our vineyards classified as ‘top’, and we believe we have achieved it,” declares Deliberto.
Sustainability at every step
Clos Pons has also focused much of its work on sustainability. Their products are certified organic, underscoring the winery’s commitment to the environment. But their sustainable approach goes beyond the labels. “The irrigation we use is deficit irrigation, which means we only use the minimum amount of water necessary to keep the vines in optimal condition,” explains Deliberto.
At the winery, sustainability is also a priority. The proximity of the vineyards to the facilities helps minimize the use of fuel and energy for grape transport. In addition, much of the harvest takes place at night to avoid drastic cooling of the white grapes, which helps reduce energy consumption in the refrigeration process.
“This September was cool, so we didn’t need to cool almost the entire red grape harvest, and in the case of the white grapes, we only lowered the temperature by a few degrees. This has significantly reduced our carbon footprint during the harvest,” adds Magriñà.
A promising harvest
In summary, the 2024 harvest at Clos Pons has been a combination of climate adaptation, technical innovation, and sustainability. Thanks to the work of Clos Pons’ Oenology Department, the winery has managed to turn this year’s challenges into an opportunity to create wines that, according to the oenologists, will be elegant, concentrated, and of great quality.
With its conscious focus on sustainability and quality, Clos Pons once again positions itself as a benchmark in the production of organic and high-end wines in the Catalonia region, and everything suggests that this year’s harvest will mark a new milestone in its already remarkable trajectory.