Succés Vinicola ‘Cuca de Llum’ Trepat 2020
Location: Spain, Catalunya
Winemaker: Mariona Vendrell and Albert Canela
Grapes: Trepat
Soil: clay, limestone
Winemaking: Spontaneously fermented for 30 days with skin contact. Elevage for 5 months on the fine lees in stainless steel vats.
From the Importer Paris Wine Co: ‘Cuca de Llum’ is made from a large, thin-skinned grape similar to Poulsard or Schiava called Trepat. Trepat produces light-bodied, aromatic wines reminiscent of Jura reds. Albert and Mariona write: "When we started as a company, our calendar was strict, so adapting to these timetables was an obligation for us. One night, we went to pick up samples of grapes from one of the properties which provide us with the grapes for this wine, and we saw a firefly, which inspired the name of the wine.”
Albert and Mariona created Succés Vinícola together when they were just 20 years old and fresh out of school. Albert comes from a family of grape growers and wanted to create his own company with Mariona to valorize their families grapes, as well as to be able to pay better rates to other local farmers who shared their vision for local organic agriculture. Their infectiously positive energy is reflected in their personality and their wines. They have pulled off the rather difficult trick of creating simple and fun wines that everyone will enjoy yet which are produced naturally with respect for the growers and the land. Nearly all of the grapes come from vineyards owned by Albert's family that they farm themselves, and they purchase a small amount of grapes from producers in Serral and Barbera de Conca. New vintages are released in the early spring so that they can settle naturally during the winter to avoid any fining or treatments. Since 2019, all of the cuvées are vinified and bottled without any added SO2.
Albert Canela and Mariona Vendrell write: In 2011, we had the opportunity to create Succés Vinícola thanks a local incubator space in Barberà de la Conca. This initiative provides facilities and winemaking equipment to entrepreneurs who want to develop their own project. Six years later, in 2016, we moved to our own cellar in Pira. The company name comes from the word "Succés" in Catalan, which refers to an event or something that happens. Each of our wines' names reflect an event in our life, or something that we feel while we make each wine.
Conca de Barberà is located in the North of the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. All of our vineyards belong to villages, Barberà de la Conca, Serral, Cabra del Camp and Solivella. The altitude of our vineyards are between 450 and 700 meters above sea level. The majority of our vineyards are composed of clay and limestone.