With just over 2,000 hectares, the Monsant region in Catalonia, around 30 kilometers west of Tarragona, is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in Spain, but in modern times it was clearly overshadowed by Spain's famous top regions such as Rioja or Ribera del Duero. This was very different in the Middle Ages, when Monsant was an important supplier of wine in Spain. Sara Pérez and Rene Barbier have made it their mission to restore the importance of this region and show that the climate and soil here are ideally suited to producing great wines. Sara Pérez can already point to a remarkable career at the famous Cims de Porreira and Clos Martinet wineries, while Rene Barbier can point to the iconic Clos Mogador winery, where he worked and achieved great things. At the beginning of the new century, they found a small, untouched vineyard in an unspoiled corner of the region and the "Venus" project took off. The project is ambitious, as this plot is located far from civilisation and surrounded by a rugged mountain range. But this is precisely what appealed to the couple, as they are interested in producing a wine that is as natural as possible and that reflects the nature in which it is produced. This also means that everything is done sustainably in harmony with nature, and so they have banned all systemic and chemical agents from the vineyard and cellar. Fertilizers are applied using horse or cow manure, waste is recycled and goat whey is used as a pesticide. Today, the winery is certified organic. The conversion to solar energy is underway. The white wine varieties Xarel-Lo, Garnacha Blanca, Macabeu and the rare Cartoixa are cultivated on the small vineyard area, while Garnacha, Carinena and Syrah are used for red wines. Fermentation takes place exclusively with wild yeasts, which is also part of the concept, and the wines are then matured in clay jugs or wooden barrels. These wines from Venus La Universal are extremely exciting, impress with their dense and intense flavour and their ability to preserve the untouched natural terroir of the region in their character. This is rewarded by the experts with consistently high ratings and euphoric reviews.
