Winter vineyards have a different kind of charm. They do not captivate with the green hues of tender leaves or the intense yellows and burgundies of ripe grapes. During the coldest months, the landscape is tinted with soft greys and ochres, and the vines seem to sleep. Yet this apparent rest is, in fact, a key moment in the vine’s life cycle: the vine rests to prepare for a new vintage.
It is also during this period, between the end of the year and the threshold of spring, that one of the most decisive tasks in the vineyard takes place: pruning. There are many types, adapted to the terrain’s topography, its orientation, the age of the vine and, above all, the wine profile one aims to achieve. Each cut is a decision that shapes the plant’s future growth, its balance and the quality of the grapes. That is why pruning requires experience, sensitivity and awareness. The way we prune ultimately determines what that year’s wine will be like.
In the case of Montrubí, pruning is strongly shaped by the winds of Avellà. This year we began at the end of November and will continue for a few more days, following the rhythm set by the vineyard itself.
We started with the carinyena vines, continuing with garnatxa, xarel·lo and parellada. In these final days of February, we are pruning the vertically trained sumoll negre vines, probably the most demanding to work with. Their deliberate vertical training responds to the desire to obtain a very specific profile: wines with identity, tension and an expression that is characteristic of the Gaintus range.´
