Missenyora, meaning ‘my lady’, was a term of address for the abbesses at Vallbona monastery. The blue bottle evokes the pottery the nuns painted, one of several manual tasks they performed. This is our way of paying tribute to a past which still makes itself felt: when we work the La Vinyeta de Missenyora or La Plana vineyards closest to the monastery we still often come across pieces of the blue enamel pottery.

Missenyora harks back to a bygone era and is inspired by another wine formerly made in the area, “vi bullit”, with a sweet touch obtained by adding concentrated must to the wine once fermentation ended. This age-old recipe was the starting point for researching a new expression for the Macabeo grape, linked to the recovery of local winemaking traditions. The result is the well balanced and sincere expressiveness of the Macabeo that grows in this part of the Corb River Valley, giving a varietal wine aged in oak barrels and with a compelling character that makes it indulgent, complex and original.

Terroir

ORIGIN: Vineyards around Vallbona de les Monges in the Corb River Valley subzone of the Costers del Segre DO. Plots characterised by the drystone walls that surround the vineyards, preserving the fertility of the soil and the efficiency of the water. SOIL: Chalky clay soil with variable levels of stoniness and depth. CLIMATE: The climate is continental Mediterranean, with cold dry winters and hot summers tempered by the soft evening breeze blowing in from the sea that cools the night, particularly during the ripening season. The scarce rainfall is concentrated in autumn and spring (350-450 mm yearly).

Varieties

Macabeo

Vine growing

Organic farming. Manual harvest in crates of 10-12 kg.

Wine processing

It is fermented in American and French oak barrels and in stainless-steel tanks. Aged on the lees until spring. Medium-sweet.

Production

2024 vintage: 5,517 bottles