Local producer BODEGAS SON PUIG

When coming to Puigpunyent on the Ma-1041 road, on the right-hand side you’ll see the majestic possessió of Son Puig rise into view, where since 2001 the Alabern de Armenteras family has produced signature wines at the Bodegas Son Puig winery. The history of this estate dates back much further, however. A defensive tower may have stood on these grounds as far back as the 13th century, and before then there may have been an Arab hamlet or farmstead here. Two of its more illustrious proprietors were Joan Despuig, Count of Montenegro, and Cardinal Antonio Despuig i Dameto, who became archbishop of Valencia and of Seville in the early 19th century.

Respect for family and cultural heritage has come to define what the Bodegas Son Puig winery stands for, having adapted so well to its truly magnificent location. The former silo where olives were stored, next to the estate’s former oil press, is now the winery’s laboratory, where the must is analysed in the meticulous, delicate process of wine making.

A staircase leads down to the bodega, where large stainless steel barrels line up in a row. Beyond these stand the wooden barrels where the red wine is aged. The co-owner of Bodegas Son Puig, Isabel Alabern, remembers a time from her childhood when the stables for the animals occupied the very same spot. It was her grandfather who bought the estate, and her father, Raimundo Alabern, a technical agricultural engineer by profession but wine grower in his heart, began the business by growing cherries and peaches. In 2001 he planted the vines, and in 2004 raised a toast with the very first wine to be made at Son Puig.

The Bodegas Son Puig winery is self-sufficient, possessing all the machinery needed to control the whole process, from destemming right through to labelling. They only use grapes grown on the estate, as they are convinced that the Puigpunyent microclimate imbues the wine with a special flavour. Harvests are by hand, carefully choosing the grapes on the vine.

The winery can produce up to 50,000 litres of wine. The white grape varieties used are Prensal, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and the red wines use the local Callet variety, as well as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. All the winery’s reds are barrel-aged.

To discover more, pay a visit to the winery, where you can also buy their wines directly. Be sure to contact them first to arrange an appointment.