Gramona

Gramona's origins lie in the 1881 founding of Celler Batlle by Pau Batlle in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Pau had learned sparkling wine production from his father Josep Batlle, who worked as a winemaker for vineyard owners in La Plana; Pau set up his own winery alone and was the sole founder. The Gramona brand emerged in the early 20th century after Pau's daughter Pilar Batlle married Bartolomé Gramona, son of Josep Gramona (who was president of the Barcelona Taverners Guild and founder of La Vid Catalana). The two wine families united and began producing sparkling wine under the Gramona brand name. The third generation, Bartomeu Gramona and Josep Lluís Gramona, advanced the operation from 1945 onward and created the Imperial bottling and the III Lustros prestige cuvée (first produced in 1951, released in 1961). The fourth-generation cousins Xavier Gramona Sande (1959 to 2023) and Jaume Gramona Martí led the modern transformation including the biodynamic conversion, international expansion, and the 2019 founding of Corpinnat. The fifth and sixth generations are now active in operations.

• Celler Batlle founded in 1881 in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia by Pau Batlle alone; Pau learned sparkling wine production from his father Josep Batlle. Bartolomé Gramona was NOT a co-founder.
• The Gramona brand emerged in the early 20th century after Pau's daughter Pilar Batlle married Bartolomé Gramona, son of Josep Gramona (president of the Barcelona Taverners Guild).
• Third generation: Bartomeu Gramona and Josep Lluís Gramona advanced the operation from 1945 onward; created the III Lustros prestige cuvée (first produced 1951, released 1961).
• Fourth-generation cousins Xavier Gramona Sande (1959 to 2023) and Jaume Gramona Martí led the modern transformation; fifth and sixth generations now active.

Xavier Gramona Sande, who had served as the public face of Gramona internationally and as one of the architects of the Corpinnat collective brand, died on 4 August 2023 at age 63. Corpinnat posthumously awarded him the title of Honorary President in recognition of his role in founding and developing the association. Following Xavier's death, his cousin Jaume Gramona Martí has served as company president, holding the strategic oversight role for the family business. The 6th generation is now active in operational leadership: Roc Gramona (Jaume's son) and Leonard Gramona (Xavier's son) co-lead the next generation of the family business and are gradually taking over operational responsibility from Jaume. Roc Gramona serves as vice president of Corpinnat under current Corpinnat president Pere Llopart, with Roc expected to assume the Corpinnat presidency in the coming years. The Gramona family has been transparent about its gradual generational transition, describing the handover from 5th to 6th generation as a carefully managed process to preserve continuity across the estate's nearly century-and-a-half of sparkling wine production.

• Xavier Gramona Sande died 4 August 2023 at age 63; Corpinnat posthumously awarded him the title of Honorary President.
• Following Xavier's death, his cousin Jaume Gramona Martí has served as company president, holding the strategic oversight role.
• Sixth-generation Roc Gramona (Jaume's son) and Leonard Gramona (Xavier's son) co-lead operational responsibility and are gradually taking over from Jaume.
• Roc Gramona serves as vice president of Corpinnat under current Corpinnat president Pere Llopart; Roc is expected to assume the Corpinnat presidency in the coming years.

Gramona owns approximately 65 hectares of estate vineyard all certified by Demeter. The biodynamic conversion began in 2014 with consulting from French soil specialist Claude Bourguignon. Beyond the estate, Gramona supervises an additional approximately 360 hectares of biodynamically certified vineyard within Aliances per la Terra, the association of Penedès grape growers Gramona founded and directs. Soils are composed of clay, limestone, and alluvial deposits with higher slate content as the vineyards approach the Montserrat mountain range. Vineyard work includes cover crops, animal traction in older parcels, biodynamic preparations applied per the lunar calendar, and the Simonit and Sirch method of vine pruning. The estate centers on the native Penedès trio of Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada with significant Chardonnay plantings for the Imperial Gran Reserva, and small parcels of red varieties (Garnacha, Sumoll, Monastrell, Pinot Noir) for the Argent rosé and the Sumoll revival bottlings. Gramona joined Recaredo as one of the two earliest biodynamic-certified Penedès sparkling wine producers.

• Approximately 65 hectares of estate vineyard all certified by Demeter; biodynamic conversion began 2014 with consulting from soil specialist Claude Bourguignon.
• Gramona supervises an additional approximately 360 hectares of biodynamically certified vineyard within Aliances per la Terra, the Penedès grower association Gramona founded and directs.
• Soils: clay, limestone, and alluvial deposits with higher slate content approaching the Montserrat mountains; cover crops, animal traction in older parcels, biodynamic preparations, and the Simonit and Sirch vine-pruning method.
• Native Penedès trio of Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Parellada plus significant Chardonnay for Imperial Gran Reserva and small parcels of red varieties for rosé and Sumoll revival bottlings.

Gramona produces some of the longest-aged traditional-method sparkling wines in global commercial production. The flagship Imperial Gran Reserva ages approximately 5 to 7 years on the lees and blends Xarel·lo, Macabeu, and Chardonnay (typical recent vintages around 50% Xarel·lo / 40% Macabeu / 10% Chardonnay, with recent shifts toward higher Xarel·lo to meet Corpinnat's 90% indigenous-variety minimum). The prestige Celler Batlle cuvée, named for Pau Batlle's original 1881 winery, ages a minimum of 9 years on the lees and is built on Xarel·lo and Macabeu from older estate parcels. Enoteca releases extend further: library bottlings age more than 11 years on the lees, and the longest-aged examples are held more than 20 years before disgorgement. The III Lustros Brut Nature is the estate's other prestige Brut Nature bottling, named for the 'three five-year periods' or 15-year reference and aged around 8 years on the lees. The extended-aging commitment reflects both family tradition and the technical reality that biodynamic Xarel·lo and Macabeu gain substantial complexity from prolonged autolytic aging.

• Imperial Gran Reserva: flagship; approximately 5 to 7 years on the lees; Xarel·lo-Macabeu-Chardonnay blend (recent shifts toward higher Xarel·lo for Corpinnat's 90% indigenous-variety minimum).
• Celler Batlle: prestige cuvée named for Pau Batlle's original 1881 winery; minimum 9 years on the lees; Xarel·lo-Macabeu from older estate parcels.
• Enoteca library releases: more than 11 years on the lees with longest-aged examples held more than 20 years before disgorgement; among the longest-aged traditional-method sparkling wines globally.
• III Lustros Brut Nature: named for 'three five-year periods'; around 8 years on the lees; first produced 1951, released 1961 under the third generation.

Beyond its sparkling reputation Gramona produces a strong Penedès DO still-wine range. Gessamí is an aromatic white blend led by Sauvignon Blanc with Gewürztraminer and Moscatell, designed as a fresh aromatic counterpart to the estate's bottle-aged sparklings. Mas Escorpí is a single-vineyard Chardonnay barrel-fermented in French oak that demonstrates Penedès's Chardonnay capability outside the international-variety sparkling component blends. Font Jui is a single-vineyard Xarel·lo demonstrating the variety's still-wine potential, with the saline-mineral foundation and naturally high acidity translating from sparkling to still expression. Vi de Glass dessert wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay) are produced through cryoextraction. Gramona has been a leading voice in the revival of Sumoll, an indigenous Catalan red variety that nearly disappeared after phylloxera and has been recovered by a small group of Penedès producers since the 2010s; the estate's Sumoll bottlings are produced in small lots and form part of the broader Penedès indigenous-variety renaissance alongside parallel work at Familia Torres and other Catalan estates.

• Gessamí: aromatic white blend led by Sauvignon Blanc with Gewürztraminer and Moscatell; designed as a fresh aromatic counterpart to the estate's bottle-aged sparklings.
• Mas Escorpí: single-vineyard Chardonnay barrel-fermented in French oak; demonstrates Penedès's Chardonnay capability outside the international-variety sparkling component blends.
• Font Jui: single-vineyard Xarel·lo demonstrating the variety's still-wine potential; saline-mineral foundation and high acidity translate from sparkling to still expression.
• Vi de Glass dessert wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay) produced through cryoextraction; small-lot Sumoll revival bottlings contribute to the Penedès indigenous-variety renaissance.