History
AN INSPIRING
HISTORY
The Nulles’ wine cellar, with the Wine Cathedral recognised as emblematic, represents the effort of a united people to move on with a dream. A yearning of hope that appears to be impossible after the great desolation caused by the phylloxera plague.
It is the begginning of 1900, and after hundreds of years of family wine elaboration and plantations , the inhabitants of Nulles decide to unify their resources and knowledge to create Sant Isidre’s trade union and to build the cellar of the village, Nulles’ Wine Cathedral. This union is materialized in 1917, being the harvesting in 1920 the first one to fill the modernist cellar’s new tanks.
This emblematic building, a work by Cèsar Martinell, is one of the greatest exponents of the modernist movement, not only does it stand out for its beauty, but also for gathering all the qualities that are necessary for wine production.
Its architect, being conscious of its importance, makes three great pillars outstand, which defines his architectonical language: the functionality, the pleasure for the rural constructive tradition and the use of structural solutions with a great future and spirit of internationalization. Hence the use of local materials such as lime and clay from the vineyard, achieving thus the imitation and integration of the building in the rural environment. The most distinguishing characteristic is the parabolic arch, which provides us with a space which is wide and functional but also of a great aesthetic beauty. Martinell finds the equilibrium, or as he used to put it: “balanced shapes are the ones which exhibit a beauty of their own”.
The parabolic arches reach their utmost beauty with the contact of light, a very relevant element which favourably influenced the construction process. The building has a thermal umbrella-like function which, together with the masonry tubs, provide the wine with the necessary stability.
The vineyard is the basis of our trade. Loving and being passionate about the land are the essence of thorough work. In Nulles we are sure that only with the best grapes can we produce the best wines, this is why a wine expert’s task starts in the field; next to the peasants, the ones who provide the cellar with experience coming from many generations. Getting to know the soil and climate that features us allows the production of unique wine, a wine that represents a land.
Nulles is characterized by a warm and temperate Mediterranean climate. The fact of being located 12 km from the sea implies an excellent maturation due to a great amount of hours of exposure to the sun along with a refreshing sharpness deriving from the sea breeze.
From the very beginning, we mainly produce local white varieties, namely Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Moscatell, which have more than proven themselves. But also, for three years now, we produce other varieties with great results, such as the Parellada and Chardonnay among the white varieties, and the Ull de LLebre and Merlot red varieties.
The roots, which are nourished by a very rich clay and lime soil that receive few water from the rain, result in a lower but more concentrated grape production, which has become a key feature of our wines.
ART
FOR
TRADE
THE MOMENTUM OF A UNITED PEOPLE
Luckily, our grandparents loved the land, and today we are reaping the rewards of this generation. Most of the 400 vineyard hectares, shared among almost 100 partners are still planted using a system called “al vas” which favours the extraction of the best quality from grapevines.
All these factors enabled the initial bottling in Nulles, in 1987 Adernats, the brand that represents Nulles and the generations of vine growers that enabled this process. Adernats, its name coming from the closest fields to the cellar, remains after 25 years as the wine and cava brand of reference in Tarragona having more than 17 of their products been bottled.
