Cal Tiques
Penedès

Joan Rubio is thought of by his peers and colleagues with a reverence not often seen, not only is he spoken of fondly as a person, but his counsel is sought by many for agriculture advice.

Born in Penedès to a family owning vineyards, Joan’s path at an early age seemed decided. He studied viticulture in Taragona and then returned to the family property and resumed the tradition of farming grapes and selling them to the large Cava houses of the region. His destiny was to change though, via Ton Mata, whom he met during his days in Taragona and was at the time selling grapes to. Ton’s parents owned Recaredo and they offered Joan a job. Two years later he was the technical director of Recaredo, deemed the most prestigious Cava house of Spain, and he held this position for the next 13 years. 

During this time, he attended a conference on responsible viticulture and met Pierre Mason, a leader in biodynamic farming in France. Here he found someone advocating agriculture favouring life and balance between the plants, soil, vineyard and animals. Subsequently he converted Recaredo to biodynamic farming, all 50 hectares, which to this day is still practised and adhered to.

Joan also converted the family’s 9-hectare property, which has been registered since 2009 with the Catalan CCPAE.

‘When you’re in the vineyard and you see the vines surrounded by the spontaneous vegetation cover you become aware of how absurd it is to try to put parameters to life’.

In 2015, he returned home to the family estate, and with wife Angels they created Cal Tiques. Located in the village of Cal Rubio in Santa Margarida I els Monjos, it lies 17 kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea. Planted predominantly to Xarello, supported by Macabeu, Tempranillo and Sumoll. There has been a new planting of Malvasia de Sitges and the property also consists of olive trees and cereals. 

At harvest time Joan picks on taste and flavour, he wants grapes that have phenolic ripeness and tension. The grapes are hand harvested and de-stemmed, and all whites have 7 - 10 days maceration. During this period there is no pigeage (punchdowns) it is a gentle infusion.  Due to this method of maceration that Joan uses, these are wines that drink like white wines more than orange. 

All the wines at Cal Tiques are obtained from free run juice, without pressing and slowly vinified, attention to detail present at every stage. Joan uses a mixture of vessels, stainless steel, 4–5-year-old oak demi-muds and tinajas (amphora) of both white and red clay.

These are captivating wines and the most elegant I have tasted from Catalunya. Of inherent beauty, they convey the meticulous work done in the vineyard; alive and expressive, with energy, salinity and minerality.