Luca BernasconiLEBULC Celler
Luca Bernasconi is the winemaker behind LEBULC Celler, a minimal-intervention natural wine project based in Fontanars dels Alforins, in the heart of the Terres dels Alforins. His method is that of the contemporary négociant: he selects reference plots and growers in the area —such as Javier Revert or Bodega Cerrón— and brings his winemaking vision to build wines with a style of their own and a markedly natural character. Each label is an independent project with a clear identity, an honest exploration of native variety and territory.
Fontanars dels Alforins, at around 600 metres altitude in the heart of the Alforins Valley. LEBULC Celler works with two soil types depending on the wine: clay-loam and limestone soils for Témide's Malvasía Riojana —vinified at Javier Revert's winery— and sandy-loam soil of limestone origin in Fuente-Álamo for the Monastrell and Garnacha vines of Adele, made with Bodega Cerrón. The Mediterranean climate with continental influence guarantees hot summers and cool nights that preserve the acidity and aromatic expression of the varieties.
- Contemporary négociant method: selection of reference plots and growers in the Terres dels Alforins
- Hand harvest in all plots
- Alcoholic fermentation with native yeasts, no inoculation
- Témide: 12 days' maceration with the skins · fermentation and ageing in 500 L clay jars
- Adele: fermentation in concrete tank with 20% stems · 13 months in 1,500 L foudre
- All wines: natural, without additives or oenological correctives
- Témide — Natural Orange Wine · Malvasía Riojana 95% + Moscatel 5% · 12 days on skins · clay jars · 12.7% · aromatic and fragrant
- Adele — Natural Red Wine · Monastrell 90% + Garnacha 10% · 45-year-old vines · 13 months in foudre · 14% · intense and structured
The Terres dels Alforins —known as the 'Valencian Tuscany'— form one of the most singular wine-growing areas of the Valencian Community. The Terres dels Alforins include municipalities such as Fontanars dels Alforins and Fuente-Álamo, where the vine grows on calcareous and sandy-loam soils at altitudes above 600 metres. The Mediterranean climate with continental influence —hot summers and cold winters, with cool nights all year round— allows wines to be made with a freshness and aromatic expression unusual for the Mediterranean latitude. LEBULC Celler works with the best of this territory: old-vine plots, native varieties and the experience of the area's growers.
The collection at Terroir Radical
Témide is LEBULC Celler's orange wine, vinified at Javier Revert's winery in a personal, distinctive style. The Malvasía Riojana comes from old bush vines; with twelve days of skin maceration in clay jars it gives a bright amber wine, very fresh and mineral, with a marked Mediterranean salinity. The 5% Moscatel adds the floral, fragrant touch that lengthens the finish. A genuine orange wine, without hurry or correctives: the territory and the jars do the rest.
Bright amber with orange glints, typical of brisat wines with skin maceration. Aromatic, fragrant nose: ripe apple, subtle herbal nuances, touches of dried fruit and a floral background from the Malvasía. On the palate it stands out for being very fresh, agile and easy to drink — the lively acidity recalls the vibration of a Txakoli. The subtle tannic structure, due to skin contact, gives presence without weight. Long, markedly mineral finish with a very balanced Mediterranean salinity.
Adele is LEBULC Celler's red, made in collaboration with Bodega Cerrón from old-vine Monastrell — plots more than 45 years old — with 10% Garnacha that adds freshness and an irreverent touch to the seriousness of Monastrell. Fermentation in concrete with stems and a long thirteen-month ageing in 1,500-litre foudre give it structure, complexity and a depth that surprises with its cleanliness. An intense, honest red with the terroir of the Terres dels Alforins as its main argument.
Medium-to-deep cherry-red colour, clean, bright, with youthful violet reflections at the rim. Very expressive, aromatic nose: ripe red and black fruit, herbal touches of Mediterranean scrub and a subtle limestone mineral background that gives it character. On the palate it surprises with its tremendous agility, fluidity and fruitiness — despite the inherent structure of Monastrell, the very lively acidity gives it freshness and an unexpected lightness. Long, round finish with the irreverent, jovial touch of the Garnacha.
Editorial note
LEBULC Celler is one of the new projects I have most enjoyed adding to the TR catalogue. The way Luca Bernasconi works —as a contemporary négociant collaborating with reference growers of the Terres dels Alforins— seems to me a very valuable formula: it combines deep knowledge of the territory with a winemaking vision of his own, markedly natural. Témide and Adele are two wines that, despite coming from the same area, explore very different registers. The Malvasía orange is aromatic, fragrant and fresh; the Monastrell red is intense, structured and deep. Two faces of the same land, made with maximum respect for variety and terroir.
— Terroir Radical