Juliet is an Italian variant of the Latin name Julia, and means ‘strong-rooted’. It refers to the strength of character provided by the experience that is accumulated over the course of life. Julieta is the name of the mother and daughter of winemaker Ricard Sebastià Foraster, the general director of the Josep Foraster family winery in Montblanc. And if the name Julieta has strong roots, no less so are those of the vines of the native Trepat variety planted more than 80 years ago that give her the grapes with which she makes the wine in tribute to her mother and one of her two sons. . In fact, Julieta is a name deeply rooted in this family from Conca de Barberà. There has been one Juliet per generation for four generations. Ricard Sebastià Foraster recognizes that it is a “very personal and sentimental” wine. And he adds that “it is many of my ideas put into a wine: old vineyard; red clay, which I think is a great soil for trepat and even more so now with the effects of climate change; north facing of the vineyard, which provides fewer hours of sunshine; and concrete, which I started trying with Julieta and that a less tannic variety like trepat does well.”
This elegant and refined red wine was born in 2016 with the idea of ??“expressing our terroir to the fullest with finesse and delicacy.” But, at the same time, it highlights that it has a lot of energy and potential for evolution in the bottle. It is a parcel wine that comes from the Vinya de Montornès, about 450 meters above sea level. It was planted at the foot of the Serra de Miramar (Coll de Lilla). The sun’s rays do not fully reach this vineyard until around 11:30 am. Furthermore, the temperature contrast between day and night on this plot is very pronounced, reaching 20º C. They work following the dictates of certified organic agriculture.
Their grapes are harvested manually in 18-kilo boxes and kept in a refrigerator for 24 hours to preserve their aromatic precursors. Julieta 2022 is a 100% trepat made with 30% selected stems. This trepat is marked by the quality of the grapes from an old vineyard with shallow clay soil and the production in tartarized concrete eggs, which is a slightly porous material that facilitates the natural movement of the lees, enhancing the volume. It therefore combines volume and lightness. It ferments spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Alcoholic fermentation is carried out at a controlled temperature (about 22º C). The maceration is very gentle, and lasts almost a month. And the malolactic fermentation is carried out in concrete eggs with a capacity of 1,900 liters, in which it is raised for seven months with light micro-oxygenation that allows them to “enhance and amplify a fine variety such as trepat.” About 10,000 bottles of this last vintage were made.
Julieta 2022 has a very low layer, and is ruby ??red in color with blue reflections. It is fluid and direct, very varietal and with a more than interesting acidity. It is expressed with notes reminiscent of acidic red fruit, spices and aromatic garrigue herbs (rosemary). Great tension with somewhat electric minerality in this DO Conca de Barberà that exudes youth. Furthermore, it is a very transparent wine with its terroir. From the winery they define it as “energetic and crisp”, and also as fresh, long and persistent. Ricard Sebastià Foraster likes to accompany his wine with a tuna tataki or a beef steak tartare. It is also ideal to pair it with turbot, hake cocochas, chicken cannelloni with foie or cheese.
Ricard Sebastià Foraster grew up among vines, barrels and farm animals. His grandfather, who had a farm with chickens, cows and pigs, promoted a winery project to make his own wines. Until then they sold his grapes to the Montblanc cooperative. In 1998 the winery was ready, and they produced a first harvest with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo varieties. But before selling this first wine, in April 1999, Ricard’s uncle relapsed from the leukemia he suffered from and ended up dying at the age of 39. The grandfather, now in his seventies, decided not to continue, but was open to helping his two daughters. Finally it was Julieta, Ricard’s practically abstemious mother, who picked up the gauntlet with the support of her husband Josep Lluís. Initially she combined her job renting tourist apartments in Salou with work in the vineyards and winery. At that time Ricard, who was 17 years old, had decided to study Law. During the summers, however, he helped the family despite receiving more than one reprimand from his demanding grandfather. Little by little the world of vineyards and wine began to capture the restless Ricard, who did not finish his law studies (for only two subjects). He enrolled in the enology and viticulture school of Espiells (Sant Sadurní d’ Anoia), and also studied sommelier at the Faculty of Oenology of the Rovira Virgili University of Tarragona (third class). Since May 21, 2021, he has chaired the Regulatory Council of the DO Conca de Barberà.
On their family farm Mas Foraster they have documented vineyards and olive trees since 1828, but the first expansion of the property was carried out by Ramon Maria Foraster (1893-1956) at the beginning of the 20th century.
During the Spanish Civil War they lost a good part of the farm. Later, Ramon Maria’s son, Josep Foraster Roselló (1923-2015), recovered an important part of the farm and directed it towards the agricultural sector. Josep Foraster Roselló’s son, also called Josep Foraster (1960-1999), designed the current winery on the Ermita de Sant Josep de Montblanc road. Àngel Camí has ??been their consulting winemaker since 1999 and until 2019. Today they make about 200,000 bottles annually, with up to 12 references. They export 35% of their production, mainly to the United States and also to prominent markets such as Switzerland and Canada. They have also opened up to wine tourism, offering tastings, breakfasts with local products from Conca de Barberà or visits to the winery and its museum, where they preserve old tools used in the countryside and where they hold traveling exhibitions of works of art.
