Tomàs Cusine

In 2003 Tomàs Cusiné left his family’s estate to set out on his own, delving deep into the hugely varied landscape that is the Costers del Segre. Based in the village of El Vilosell, Tomàs is surrounded by the three key local D.Os of Conca de Barberà, Montsant and Costers del Segre. The 30 hectares of vineyard, owned by Tomàs, are managed organically and he also has access to a further 70 ha of contracted growers. Many of the vineyards are at an altitude of over 700 metres and the soils are a sandy loam with patches of gravel, all this providing cooler growing conditions for the grapes. The patchwork nature of the land has allowed Tomàs to plant 17 different varieties. In the winery, fermentation takes place in cement and wooden fermenters with the recent addition of some amphorae. Ageing is primarily done using 225 litre Bordeaux barrels.

Catalonia

SPAIN

My goal was to produce wines with character that would reflect the expression of the terroir,

implementing my own wine philosophy and taking advantage of all the knowledge I had gained on the DO Costers del Segre wine region. A few years later, I focused on consolidating my style by prioritising the work being done in the vineyard along with precision viticulture, which have both been nourished by effort and passion. I hope to continue maintaining and increasing the prestige of my wines”.

Tomàs Cusiné, winemaker

Viticulture

The 30 hectares of vineyards are managed organically and sustainably. Only compost organic is used, tilling between strains and preserving the soil’s vegetation cover. In order to allow for the natural vegetative development of the vineyards and to prevent the spread of pests, only minimal sulphur and copper treatments are implemented. These 30 hectares of vineyards that he owns are joined by another 70 hectares that belong to wine growers who are associated with the same region. The incessant search for varieties of grapes that best adapt to the territory has prompted Tomàs Cusiné to plant 17 different varieties, whose adaptation to the climatic conditions and the soils in the area is controlled by research and development. The estate is located in an area with complex terrain, in which there are numerous north-facing hills and valleys that continue to rise towards the south until reaching the Serra de la Llena mountain chain, a natural border with other wine-making regions: El Priorat and La Conca de Barberà.

Winemaking

The winemaking process requires a careful monitoring of the grapes that, once harvested, pass through a special sorting table. Afterwards, they are refrigerated and then put through a cold pre-maceration that preserves the freshness and richness of the fruit. During the slow fermentation at a low temperature, the interaction of the yeasts with the musts is carefully controlled, as well as the effects of the maceration, preventing an excessive tannin extraction to thus obtain finer, richer and long-living wines. Once transferred, the wines undergo malolactic fermentation in underground cement tanks, and are later aged in selected fine grain French oak barrels that come from only the best manufacturers: François Frères, Nadalie, Seguin Moreau, Demptos, Sylvain, Boutes…