Mola, Mas La
Summary
Mas La Mola is a small-scale partnership between viticulturist Jordi Masdeu and sommelier Alessandro Marchesan, producing limited Garnacha and Cariñena-based wines from steep, llicorella-rich vineyards in Priorat's Poboleda village. Their hands-on approach encompasses manual vineyard work necessitated by the mountainous terrain and customized cellar practices, maintaining minimal intervention to authentically express the distinctive mineral character of their mountain terroir.
Heritage & Leadership
Mas La Mola was established in 2000 in the village of Poboleda within Catalonia's Priorat DOQ region. The winery represents a partnership between Jordi Masdeu, a local viticulturist with deep roots in the region, and Alessandro Marchesan, an Italian sommelier. The two founders combined their complementary expertise—Masdeu's understanding of the challenging Priorat terroir and Marchesan's wine service background—to develop a project focused on expressing the distinctive character of this mountainous Spanish appellation.
The winery takes its name from the La Mola mountain that dominates the landscape around Poboleda, reflecting the founders' commitment to creating wines that embody their geographic origin. Since its inception, Mas La Mola has maintained its focus on small-scale production from select vineyard sites in the northern part of Priorat.
Vineyards & Wines
Mas La Mola's vineyards are situated in Poboleda, in the northern sector of Priorat. The vineyards occupy steep hillside plots characterized by the region's defining llicorella soil—a poor, slate-based terrain that forces vines to struggle and develop deep root systems. These conditions naturally limit yields while concentrating flavors in the grapes.
The estate works primarily with traditional Priorat varieties, focusing on Garnacha (Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan) from old vines, some of which date back several decades. These plantings are complemented by smaller amounts of international varieties including Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The winery produces a focused range of wines that includes their flagship Mas La Mola Priorat, a red blend that showcases the concentration and mineral character typical of the region. Their portfolio also features single-vineyard expressions that highlight the nuances of specific sites within their holdings.
Philosophy & Practice
Mas La Mola adheres to traditional viticultural practices adapted to the challenging mountain terrain of Priorat. The steep slopes necessitate manual cultivation and harvesting, with no possibility for mechanization. This labor-intensive approach extends to their winemaking, where hand-sorted grapes undergo careful processing to preserve the character imparted by the distinctive llicorella soils.
In the cellar, the winery employs a combination of stainless steel tanks and oak barrels for fermentation and aging, tailoring the approach to each wine in their portfolio. Their red wines typically undergo aging in French oak, with duration varying by cuvée to achieve balance between fruit expression and structural development.
The production philosophy centers on minimal intervention, allowing the distinctive mineral character of Priorat to emerge in the finished wines. Annual production remains deliberately small, enabling meticulous attention throughout the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle.