History

It is documented that in 1293 the territory called La Mata, now called MAS POLIT, was manor owned by the hostelry monk of Sant Pere de Rodes, who made emphyteusis contract with Bernat Carrera. And the document that attests they already cultivated vines.

 

It was in 1572 when Antonio Heras, coming from Mas d’en Heras of Garriguella, bought the Mas. From this date Mas Pòlit has been owned by the family Heras and their descendents.

 

In 1632, the house became the property of a grandson of Antonio Heras, Heras called Hippolytus. It was from this moment that the house took his name Mas Polit.

 

Following the knowlege of our ancestors we strive to move forward a strong tradition rooted in the Emporda and Vilamaniscle. We can not reconstruct the past, but the past can inspire us. We try to build new worlds that include the precedents and placed next to it. We will ensure that new worlds never annihilate the old, moving us in the precious balance of cohabitation between old traditions and new technologies.

 

The history of Mas Pòlit, linked to growing vines and making wine, can be read in the book “Historia de la vinya i el vi a l’Empordà” Josep Lluís Iglesias Xifra.

SITUATION

 

Celler Mas Pòlit is located at northwest of the Alt Empordà, within the municipality of Vilamaniscle, at the foot of the last southern buttresses of the Pyrenees, between the natural parks of Albera and Cap de Creus. The proximity of the sea and mountains forms a landscape of harmonic hardness, where the vine grows in poor soils and acids, suitable for production of quality grapes. More Pòlit properties are from the same village, located west and 169 meters above sea level, to the ridge of the Sierra de la Vague de Ferran (332 m. Height) at its eastern end.

 

THE WEATHER

 

The most characteristic feature is the Tramuntana climate, cold and dry north strong wind. The climate is Mediterranean, with influences from humid winds from the south and cold northerners, and the proximity of the sea; moderate and hot summers but tempered by breezes winters. The dry summers give us water stress necessary to obtain quality grapes.

 

SOIL

 

Soil characteristics are stony slate lands (licorella), acidic and rich in silicon and iron, with granitic outcrops from the area of the Sierra Balmeta, between the natural parks of Albera and Cap de Creus. The type of soil is ideal for growing vineyard based on small productions per vine and bring grapes with high concentrations of sugars and polyphenolic elements, ideal for producing high quality wines.

Vineyards

We grow eight hectares of vineyards of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvèdre; and the white variety Moscatel of Alexandria.

 

We chose the option of planting vines on the hillsides of the property Mas Polit, where formerly cultivated vineyards on slopes. Because of the situation and characteristics of the “terroir” we got low production strains but give us grapes with concentration and structure.

 

The vineyards have been divided into small plots, given the rugged terrain of the property.

 

Given the characteristics of land and to ensure the quality of the grapes much of the work and especially the harvest is done by hand, making the first selection of grapes in the vineyard.

Winery

For our wines we are looking for concentration, personality and harmony.

 

The concentration is obtained in a natural way with low yields, and at the same time maintaining the unique balance of the ecosystem.

 

Personality and character are obtained from the selection of exceptional land (terroir), traditional mountain viticulture and the intelligent use of native varieties.

 

Harmony is obtained after the search for balance between power and freshness.

 

Craftsmanship and knowledge of oenologists determines the coupage, and studied separately assembling varieties to determine the exact proporcions points, in order to obtain artisan wines that combine ancient tradition with the contribution of new technology, combining tradition and innovation.

Commitment to sustainability

In 2017 we built a new winery where we can process all the grapes produced in our vineyards.

 

In this new winery we have achieved complete energy self-sufficiency. We operate exclusively with renewable energy due to the photovoltaic panels installation and an intelligent system for controlling storage and energy consumption.

 

An aerothermal system allows us to heat and cool from solar energy.

 

The entire parenting room is underground, which naturally allows you to achieve the desired temperature and humidity.

 

We use low-weight glass bottles to contribute reduce the environmental impact, and all packaging material is recyclable or biodegradable.

 

Following the line of our commitment to sustainability and the environment, we are working to further reduce our carbon footprint.