The cellar

Location

The cellar "Celler generi" is located at the Teresa Pallejà square, nº3 d'Agullana.

How to reach "Celler generi" from Figueres, Roses, Girona, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Olot, Barcelona and Perpinyà

See location of the cellar at the Agullana's map

Grape picking

We take care of the vineyards along the lines of traditional crop. We realize that good wine can only be obtained from a good ripe grape. That is why we take great control of ripeness during the last month on a regular basis every 3 / 4 days and every day the week before the crop. The picking is done when the ripeness index of the grape is appropriate, which is valued on the basis of four criteria: change in colour of the grape (varolat), lignification of seeds, sugar and acidity.

The crop is done after the analysis of ripeness control indicate that the balance between sugar and acidity is adequate and the seed are well-lignified.
We get the grapes in stackable boxes of 10Kg. The grapes are not pressed inside the boxes. We enter the crop around 11 noon (beginning at 7 am) and we make several trips with the tractor, preventing the warming of the grapes. Obviously the harvest is by hand and selected.
A good wine can only be made from a grape with a proper ripeness level.

Harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon: First fifteen days of October
Harvest of Merlot and Syrah: Second fifteen days of sptember
Harvest of Chardonnay: Second fifteen days of August

Fermentation

Fermentation is the process by which produces the transformation of sugars into alcohol + carbon dioxide, which produces the traditional detachment of gas. This fermentation process is caused by the activity of micro-organisms, called yeast, which in a first stage required an atmosphere with oxygen.
The fermentation is accomplished with temperature controls, using cold water outside the tub (as shown in photo). We pump over the wine twice a day at 8 am and 8 pm. This step of "pumping over the wine" lies in taking out the wine from the bottom of the tank and spread it over of the head of solids, to cause a close contact between the juice, the skin and the seeds.

Maceration

The maceration is done by manual "bazuqueo", once or twice a day, and through the piston we put the wine in contact with the skins and the seeds (lignified seeds). One of the most prestigious oenologists form l' Empordà, Jaume Serra Pagès, is the one who decides the end of the maceration process(20 to 30 days).

Decantation

Once maceration is done and the skins and seeds are in suspension, we filter all the wine from the bottom of the tank using a filter. This step is performed by gravity, and the wine once filtered goes to another closed tub where there is no possibility of oxidation to facilitate the sedimentation of the non desirable lees.

During the wine production we carry out three decantations, one every two months. Following this way, when we reach the month of April the wine is clean, ready to be putted inside the barrels.

Barrel aging

Barrel aging is done in French oak barrels from Allier, "CHATEAUX" type. The wine remains twelve months inside the barrel, and each month, the barrel is filled to prevent air inside. The same barrel is used only three years. Aging process is done by grape varieties.

Bottle aging

The bottle aging, once the blending of varieties is done, takes place, during two years, in a cellar at a constant temperature of 17 º C. The bottles are closed using natural corks from the country.

The bottles are capsulated manually and labelled with a semi-automatic machine. The bottles when capsulated and labelled are packed inside cardboard boxes of five bottles each. The cardborad-box we use is easily transportable under the arm.

The boxes are stored into the warehouse at a constant temperature of 18 º C, stored in pallets of 50 boxes each.