Organic and biodynamic growing
The universe is our inspiration
Over 20 years ago on the Castell d’Age estates, we were pioneers in the introduction of organic farming. The philosophy was brought by Anne Marie. Respect for the land. Doing things well. Attention to detail. The results are there to be seen. They’re in the taste.
As the new generation following in her footsteps, we have gone one step further with a move to biodynamic agriculture. A method that respects the relationship between man and earth. Which has always existed.
Respect for the land and the environment are our main priority. Aware that everything that happens on Earth is a reflection of what is happening in the cosmos, we work in accordance with the cycles of the Moon, the planets and the constellations.
Our most valuable treasure is our soil. We look upon it as a living entity, full of life, dynamic and harmonious. It is responsible for making our products unlike any others and for conferring the typical characteristics that we seek for our wines and cavas.
We therefore fertilize it with the bovine compost that we make, and to which we add biodynamic preparations. Use of machinery in the vineyards is kept to a strict minimum. We accept the spontaneous growth of vegetation that ensures biodiversity on our estate. And we utilize the resources with which the land supplies us, to protect the riches bequeathed by our ancestors.
The land first and foremost. The responsibility and love we feel for our environment have forged our identity.
The origin of everything
Part of our work involves knowing how to choose the most suitable soil for each grape variety. As for the hours of sunlight and amount of rain, the Mediterranean climate takes care of that.
LThey say the gods live on Mount Olympus. At Castell d’Age, the gods are alive and well, taking the form of vines on our estates. Privileged lands, the origin of our Bodega. Located in the Penedès D.O. Made up of different types of soil and situated at varying altitudes. So that each variety finds the most suitable environment, where it can express its great potential.
Here, the Junyent family was already producing excellent grapes in the middle of the 20th Century. Our grandfather, Josep Maria Junyent, was the first to plant Cabernet Sauvignon in the Penedès, to celebrate the birth of his first grandchild.
Today, the lands of Castell d'Age are a fine example of organic viticulture.
The land is sacred
As well as the type of soil, many other factors influence the adaptation of each grape variety to the terroir, allowing it to realise its full potential: the altitude of the terrain, geographical orientation, prevailing winds, microclimate, etc. Good land is the most valuable asset. Castell d'Age currently owns six estates.
Can Aguilera
This estate is named after the village at the end of which these vineyards are situated. Here, on licorella slate soil, the Sauvignon Blanc and red Grenache grape varieties attain their highest quality.
Can Gener
This is the first estate where we started organic growing. In over 20 hectares of limestone soil, we grow the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Xarel.lo, Pinot Noir and Merlot grape varieties which go into the production of our most prestigious cavas and wines.
Can Almirall
In 40ha estate located 210m above sea level, we farm xarel·lo, the most representative grape variety from our region. The production is small but of a very high quality and it’s the base to make our cavas and still white wines.
Can Vila
This estate is comprised of 21 hectares of clay soil located on the Montserrat mountainside. Here the Tempranillo grape variety produces full wines with excellent structure and great potential.
Can Pujades
60 hectares of organic Syrah and Grenache vineyards grow on this, the last estate to join Castell d’Age. These are vital to the composition of our most non added sulfites wines.
One man’s earth is another man’s heaven
It all starts with the earth. Each variety must first find the most suitable soil where it can develop its fullest potential so that later, many months later, our wines and cavas come to embody wine-drinking heaven. We have three important types of soil on our estates.
Calcareous
This soil is pale in colour and rich in calcareous salts, which has an influence on the grape's aromas and compactness. It endows the wines with elegance and alcoholic strength.
Licorella
This is a dark earth, made up of slate fragments. Its flint component bestows lightness, refinement, aromas and alcoholic strength.
Clay loam
With an unmistakable reddish shade, this soil is a combination of silt, sand and above all clay. It gives the wines their richness, tannins and structure.