Producer: Emilie Mutombo

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Where?

From Belgium to Catalonia with a bit of Australia. When you're not a native of the wine industry, you're in your thirties, and you had a life before wine (events in Brussels), the transition isn't always easy. It's hard work that didn't scare Émilie Mutombo, a young Belgian with Congolese roots who is now part of the new generation of Catalan viticulture. To facilitate this transition, Émilie studied oenology before beginning her winemaking experience in France. At a Vins anonymes trade fair in Angers, she met Massimo Marchiori of Partida Creus, and their winemaking energies proved compatible. Shortly after, her decision was made: she moved to Catalonia and worked at Massimo and Antonella's estate, the true starting point of her life as a winemaker. From harvest to harvest, Émilie's goal became clearer: to make her own wines. With the help of Tom Colman of the Jauma estate in South Australia, she created her first red, Émilie Tom, followed by a beautifully amber-colored sparkling wine she named Noisette Ancestral.

Terroir, plots, and grape varieties

Since Émilie vinifies at Partida Creus, refer to this estate's page to learn more. The Émilie Tom cuvée is made from Cartoixa Vermell and Garrut, ancient Catalan grape varieties that Massimo and Antonella love to use and showcase.

Growing Methods

The same as those of Partida Creus: on poor, sandy-clay or clay-limestone soils, biodynamic, artisanal, and entirely manual viticulture is practiced. No chemical treatments, limited yields, and hand-harvested.

Vinification

The grapes are macerated in whole bunches and fermented with indigenous yeasts; no sulfur is added at bottling. Émilie Tom is produced directly from Cartoixa Vermell and Garrut grapes in carbonic maceration, while Noisette Ancestral, as its name suggests, undergoes two successive fermentations, the second in the bottle.

The Wines

At the time of writing, Émilie Mutombo has only produced two vintages, but it's a promising start. True to the gurgling, exuberant yet fresh style for which Catalan natural wines are renowned, she fulfills her mission flawlessly. The Émilie Tom red is fresh and light, yet complex and deliciously tinged with bitterness. The Noisette Ancestral natural sparkling wine boasts a lovely amber maceration color and, as they say, wakes the dead. What else can we say other than that we eagerly await the next release?