A common belief about white wine is that quality is much higher in cold regions, and consequently, only fresh vintages from warmer climates are worthy of consideration.
At Clos Pons, our pleasant discovery over the last two years, during which temperatures have risen dramatically, is that with careful attention, winery care, and especially good vineyard techniques, we produce an excellent quality white wine at Clos Pons. It may have less freshness, but it offers exceptional density, body, and volume on the palate, along with no less aromatic complexity.
As is often the case with quality wines, it is defined in the vineyard. At Clos Pons, preventing high temperatures is crucial, a scenario that seems to be definitive, or at least the episodes of extreme heat during certain periods appear to be, even if the average temperatures are not so extreme in the overall summer count.
Proper fertilization ensures balanced vegetative growth. Combined with measured irrigation, rationally distributed during the growing season (especially in the final ripening phase), this will allow for good vegetative development and protect the grape clusters from sun exposure. This protection will be provided by the plant's own foliage, regulated, as mentioned, primarily through fertilization and irrigation. And above all, eliminating the disastrous practice of defoliation, imported from our French neighbors, whose viticultural needs are very different from ours. This practice is also used, it must be said, in situations of sanitary risk for the grapes, a situation that is never ours, given the climatic characteristics of our environment and the expertise of our technicians.
In short, by taking care of the microclimate of the grape cluster, it is clear that despite high temperatures, we maintain equivalent quality, although the wine changes slightly in style. The classic balance between acidity and sweetness (the latter defined primarily by alcohol content) shifts towards the latter, resulting in denser and creamier wines that are also complex and expressive.
Martí Magriñá, Clos Pons Winemaker