The Cellar

Our main goal is to obtain quality products and to achieve such wines both our climate and the sun are vital, but as important as that is the selection of the grapes that enter our cellar and the later winemaking or vinification process.

The elaboration of wine starts when the grapes reach their optimal ripeness. It is only then that the harvest or grape-picking begins, which generally takes place from the end of August until mid-September. Once the grapes have been harvested, they are taken to the cellar to undergo fermentation.

When the white grapes (varieties Macabeu, xarel·lo and Parellada) are in the cellar, they are weighed, crushed and pressed in a pneumatic press at a very low pressure, to obtain flower must. This is then debourbaged before being poured into fermentation tanks, where the temperature is controlled in order to obtain the best aromas. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the resulting wine is clarified and stabilised before being bottled.

The difference in the elaboration for variety xarel·lo is that we boost its aromatic profile by subjecting it to a peculiar maceration.

Ageing xarel·lo undergoes an ageing with lees in barrels.

Our rosé wine is elaborated with the grape variety ull de llebre (also known as Tempranillo). Once the wine reaches the cellar it is destemmed, and macerated for some hours to extract the desired colour and the fermentation continues as if the wine maker was elaborating a white wine.

Red whine ull de llebre-merlot, is destemmed and afterwards sent to self-emptying tanks where it will be fermented and macerated, to remove anthocyanins and tannins. This way we achieve the desired colour and tanacity. After the alcoholic fermentation, the malolactic fermentation will take place to give our wine purity, mildness and microbiologic stability.

Once this last process is concluded, the wine undergoes several rackings. Part of it is bottled as young wine and the other art is aged for six months in French and American oak barrels to become a ageing wine.

The cooperative of Bràfim has expanded and modernized its facilities along the years. The cellar consists of vessels for different volumes, amounting to 130 vessels with a maximum capacity that reaches 7,000,000 l. Our cellar is fitted with modern technologies to handle wine with greatest care; from its reception until it has been bottled.

The cellar has a modern oenological laboratory which is provided with the latest oenological techniques. From this laboratory we offer an analysis service to several cellars in the county.