Nin-Ortiz, Familia
Summary
Familia Nin-Ortiz is a small-scale, family-owned estate in Priorat's Porrera village, producing terroir-driven Garnacha and Cariñena wines from old vines planted in the region's distinctive llicorella slate soils at elevations between 350-650 meters. Their strictly biodynamic approach extends from vineyard to cellar, where hand-harvested fruit undergoes native fermentation and aging in oak and amphorae, yielding limited-production wines that have earned them cult status among collectors seeking authentic expressions of place.
Heritage & Leadership
Familia Nin-Ortiz was founded in the early 2000s by husband and wife team Ester Nin and Carles Ortiz in Porrera, one of the historic villages within Spain's prestigious Priorat region. The winery released its first commercial vintages around 2007-2008, marking the beginning of what would become a significant contribution to Priorat's winemaking landscape.
Before establishing their own winery, Ester Nin built her viticultural expertise as the vineyard manager at Clos Erasmus, one of Priorat's most respected estates. This experience provided valuable insights into the region's unique terroir and traditional grape varieties that would later inform the couple's own winemaking approach.
The winery remains family-owned and operated, with Ester focusing on vineyard management while Carles directs winemaking operations. Their collaboration extends across all aspects of production, maintaining a deliberately small-scale operation that allows for meticulous attention to each vineyard parcel and wine.
Vineyards & Wines
Familia Nin-Ortiz's vineyards are situated in Porrera, characterized by the region's defining llicorella slate soils that impart distinctive mineral qualities to the wines. Their vineyard parcels, likely totaling under 10 hectares, include old vines, some exceeding 80 years of age, planted on steep terraced slopes at elevations ranging from approximately 350 to 650 meters above sea level.
The estate focuses primarily on Priorat's traditional varieties: Garnacha (Grenache) and Cariñena (Carignan) for red wines, while also working with white varieties including Garnacha Blanca and Carinyena Blanca. Their portfolio includes both single-vineyard expressions and thoughtfully crafted blends.
Their flagship wines include "Planetes de Nin" and "Nit de Nin," both showcasing the concentrated fruit profiles and pronounced mineral characteristics typical of high-quality Priorat wines. All wines carry the Priorat DOQ (Denominación de Origen Calificada) designation, reflecting their adherence to the region's strict quality standards.
Philosophy & Practice
Biodynamic viticulture forms the cornerstone of Familia Nin-Ortiz's approach to winegrowing. This comprehensive farming system treats the vineyard as an integrated ecosystem, working in harmony with natural cycles and minimizing external inputs.
In the vineyard, all harvesting is performed by hand with careful grape selection to ensure only the highest quality fruit enters the winery. This attention to detail continues in the cellar, where they employ minimal intervention techniques designed to express the authentic character of their vineyard sites.
Fermentation processes utilize native yeasts naturally present on the grape skins rather than commercial cultures. For aging, they employ a combination of oak barrels and clay amphorae, vessels that allow the wines to develop complexity while preserving fruit purity.
Production quantities remain deliberately small, with some single-vineyard bottlings limited to just a few thousand bottles. This limited production approach reflects their position among Priorat's "new wave" of terroir-focused producers who prioritize site expression over volume.