Gemma’s grandparents, particularly her grandfather, planted and worked this parcel called ‘Pinyanes,’ a name you’ll see on the wines’ labels. It’s located specifically between the towns of Falset, Marçà and Bellmunt del Priorat. In general, the geography of the Priorat is very varied and abrupt, with lots of variation, but it becomes gentle in this area of Gemma’s parcel. The vineyard rises above a closed valley surrounded by pines, at about 300m above sea level, with a northeast orientation. Thanks to this lucky orientation, the site is protected from sunlight practically all day—rare for the famously intense, hot Priorat—and at the same time, the vineyard’s aspect facilitates a particular wind being funneled through the vineyard from the north, called cerç.
Regarding the vineyard, Gemma says: “It’s less than one hectare, formed by the mixture of three types of soil characteristic of the area: much of sauló (weathered granite soils), slate and clay. It is this great difference in soils that makes it so special. We have mostly sandy soil with little water retention, so the old vines have to make great effort to find water, lowering their roots until they find the mother rock. This gives us slower maturation and at the same time, provides us with very fresh wines.”

Gemma tells us that she grew up with a close bond with her grandparents and a very strong feeling toward the land her family worked her whole life. In her early 20’s, Gemma went on to study biology, leading her to work in a wine research center where she specialized in oenological microbiology. Over time, however, Gemma shares that she increasingly felt that “that many things were moving inside me,” and a dream started to emerge of escaping work in scientific labs and instead recovering her grandfather’s vineyard—to be the first to make wine with fruit from her family home.

In order to prepare herself for the next steps, Gemma did a master's degree in viticulture and oenology, quit her job, and completed a first harvest at nearby winery. During that harvest, she met our great friend and fellow producer Francesc Ferré of Celler Frisach—Gemma explained to him her long-time feelings, what she wanted to do with her grandfather's vineyard; Francesc opened the doors of his house to her to help accomplish her dream, and now the rest is history.

In 2020 Gemma began work at Les Pinyanes learning alongside her uncle, who taught her winter pruning, tilling, work in between rows, and green pruning. Along with the support of her father, as well, who helps in the field, harvest 2021 was the first genuine vintage completed, with the production of a single-vineyard Carinyena; 2022 is the second year of production, with a clear confidence gained after having three years of work in the vineyard under her belt.