We created a singular sparkling wine made exclusively from merlot. Que els Bombin is not just a drink: it is a statement of our determination and passion for the work we do every day in the vineyard.
The context
In recent years we have watched the price of merlot grapes collapse to derisory levels. Wineries and producers paid so little that we felt our effort and the quality of our work were not valued. Twenty years ago many Penedès growers bet on this variety; today, with vineyards at their peak, large houses buy cheap and many producers have lost interest in merlot while the industry increasingly favours native varieties.
Some growers have sold grapes for as little as €0.20/kg, well below the production cost of around €0.50/kg. The outlook leaves little room for those who believe in the essence of merlot and in what our terroir gives it.
The response
Rather than give up, we decided to take a bold step and create something unique with our own hands. In 2021, with determination and camaraderie, eight growers from the Plant Protection Association (ADV) of Sant Martí Sarroca joined forces to make our own sparkling wine.
Each contributed 200 kg of carefully selected merlot to give life to the first batch. The name of the wine is a statement of intent: a clear reference to those producers who, amid the trend towards native varieties, have stopped valuing the merlot that has given the Penedès so many fine wines.
The process
The grapes come from vineyards in Sant Martí Sarroca, Torrelles de Foix, Font-rubí and Vilobí del Penedès. They were hand-harvested in 20 kg boxes, chilled to preserve their aromatic components, and only free-run must was used after careful pressing.
Following the ancestral method —a single fermentation that finishes in the bottle— we made a natural rosé sparkling wine with no added sulphur, from organic vineyards. Disgorging was done by hand at the historic cellar of Masia Can Brugueras, an 18th-century farmhouse in Sant Martí Sarroca.
