THE PROJECT OF A LIFETIME

In 1979 Carlos Esteva decided to go and live in his grandfather’s estate, Can Ràfols dels Caus.

His early attempts with viticulture occurred on the island of Menorca in the 1970’s, but it wasn’t until he took charge of the family estate that he decided to get involved in the production of wines of quality, body and soul, respecting the characteristics of the surrounding landscape and the architecture within a sustainable scope.

Carlos Esteva’s arrival in the Garraf was nothing short of a revolution: not only did he embark on the daunting task of restoring the noble but derelict masia (traditional Catalan farmhouse), but he regenerated the

farming of the vineyards, introducing new varieties and methods of cultivation, making a decisive bet on quality wines of unique character that would give an identity to his estate winery.
With various decades of experience in the wine world, Carlos Esteva continues to distinguish himself for his ample culture in this sector – he has been named head of the prestigious International Academy of Wine
and for his capacity to diversify: not satisfied with having created some twenty references at Can Ràfols dels Caus –both wines and cavas–, he has steered other projects such as Mas Oller in the Empordà and Can Camps a small estate that has the distinction of producing wine from vineyards located in the midst of the Natural Park of the Massís del Garraf.

The wines at Can Ràfols del Caus come from a land that is unlike any other: the Massís del Garraf, a totally original and unique landscape.

Geographically, it translates as a calcareous mass of limestone that is part of the Coastal Chain, limited by the plains of Penedès and the Mediterranean Sea.

The austerely beautiful landscape consist of a series of hills  –some of them rise above 500 meters (1640 ft.) with steep slopes of up to 50%– with gullies and watercourses, usually dry, where the solid bedrock of the massif emerges. This landscape limits the amount of usable soil available.

Can Ràfols dels Caus is one of the most singular and attractive vineyards in Europe. It is here that one can really comprehend how this property has managed to live in harmony with its surroundings for 2000 years.

25 years after starting his winemaking adventure, Carlos Esteva decided to take a big step and build a new winery within the old one. The plan was not so to increase the number of tanks, litres of wine or bottles but to be able to work in better conditions. With this project the qualitative potential of the vineyard has increased significantly because of the focus on being able to work better

with micro-vinification and being able to separate the grapes from different plots and carry on investigating.

The new winery is, above all, a show of respect towards the unique environment with architecture that unveils the historical side of the estate. With this objective and focusing on the details, the ultimate design is a winery that is completely invisible from the outside – incrusted into the rock of the Garraf, totally integrated in the landscape and with several different levels on the inside to enable the flow of the winemaking process with the simple effect of gravity.

“A great wine always expresses, apart from its terroir, the individuality of its author. Naturally, this is not to be said for wines made with only financial benefit in mind.

The authentic quality of a wine manifests itself in the differentiating effect that it breathes. Exceptional wines have that “something” that goes way beyond what we are able to perceive with just our eyes, nose and palate.

We must strive for the invisible”

Carlos Esteva, for Vinum magazine (February, 2000)

sign