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Catalonia · Spain

Producer profile

Celler Marfil

Alella family winery with Pansa Blanca and White Grenache, Menorca vineyards, revived sweet and fortified styles, and sparkling wines.

Place
Catalonia · Spain
Known for
Alella whites and revived historic styles
Wine context
Grenache / Garnacha · Syrah / Shiraz
Editorial basis
World of Wine editorial profile · 3 sources

World of Wine editorial profile · Source list ↓

Atlas locationCatalonia · Spain41.49° N · 2.30° E

At A Glance

Field
Detail
Appellation
D.O. Alella
Home
Alella
Main grapes
Pansa Blanca, White Grenache, Red Grenache and Syrah
Flagship brand
Marfil
Vineyard sources
Alella and Menorca

The Producer

Celler Marfil is based in a modernist building in central Alella, designed by Jeroni Martorell, a disciple of Antoni Gaudí. The winery was founded in 1906 at the heart of D.O. Alella. Grapes from 22 hectares of plots in Alella and Menorca, including five hectares of vineyards on Menorca, are vinified at the Alella winery.

Xavier Garcia, the winery's technical director and owner, is trained as a geologist, agricultural engineer and winemaker. He has led Celler Marfil's work, recovered traditional styles forgotten for decades, and developed new bottlings. The winery's flagship brand, Marfil, was Barcelona's reference white wine during the twentieth century and was exported worldwide.

Place

Celler Marfil sits 15 kilometres from Barcelona, while its vineyards occupy slopes and terraces on the Maresme coast facing the Mediterranean. Alella's plots have granitic sauló soils under a Mediterranean climate. The wines have freshness, saline notes and ageing potential from those soils.

Wines

There are around a dozen wines from Alella and Menorca. Whites from Pansa Blanca and White Grenache represent the D.O. Alella style in the house range. The selection also includes historic sweet and fortified wines and sparkling wines within the appellation. Sweet wines are sweet, fortified wines use added spirit to raise alcohol, and sparkling wines contain bubbles.

The named bottlings include Nura Blanc, Ivori La Finka and Nura Negre, all from the 2022 vintage. Nura Blanc and Ivori La Finka are white wines, Nura Negre is red, and Ivori La Finka carries the Alella appellation.

Final Word

Celler Marfil also uses Moscatel, Macabeo and Garnella, a variety being recovered in Alella.

Sources

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Where to go next

placeRead the Catalonia guideSee Celler Marfil in the wider setting of Catalonia.mapFind Celler Marfil on the mapKeep the producer, its region and nearby places together.learningHow place shapes wineSee how climate, landscape and local choices become part of a wine.