To speak of De Muller is to speak of one of the wineries with the most history in Tarragona, but also of a firm that has transcended the wine field thanks to one of its most emblematic wines: the mass wine which, for decades, has been coming to the Vatican and is part of the celebration of the Eucharist.
Founded more than a century and a half ago, De Muller is present in two appellations of origin, Priorat and Tarragona, in which it has managed to preserve a legacy built on quality and respect for the territory. And not only do they have the claim of their great wines and their curious table wine; Furthermore, they make artisanal vermouths with traditional recipes, long-aged soleras and unique liqueurs that seek to reflect its historical essence.
Eduard Martorell, its general director, defends a way of understanding wine in which tradition and innovation do not compete, but rather complement each other. At a time when there is a growing interest in wines with identity and native varieties, it vindicates the good work of De Muller, which has been betting for years on the so-called Tarragona Classic, rancio wine, muscatels, mistelas or mass wine.
De Muller is one of the historic wineries in Tarragona, what makes them different after so much time?
What can differentiate us, although it may seem in the opposite direction, is that we continue to maintain a bit of the essence and traditional elaborations of what was made in Tarragona, what is called the Tarragona Classic, which would be these styles of wine, a little similar to the styles of Sherry wine, what is called here rancio wine, which is oxidized, alcoholic wines, muscateles, mistelas, the mass wine that we continue to make. And then we have known how to adapt to new times, it is knowing how to combine the traditional historical part, the legacy of our house, what identifies us and transmit that history to the entire flow of new wines, new styles and new trends in the sector.
¿What variety of grape Do you think it is the one that most represents this area?
There are several because the area is quite extensive and we have different varieties that can adapt to our territory. In white, the macabeu is worked a lot, a very representative variety of the area. Muscat too, not only for sweet wines, but also for whites. And in red, we could have what would be the ull de llebre, the sumol, which would be something more typical of our house, and the garnacha, white and black.
If you had to recommend a wine that represents your winery, your philosophy, to someone who doesn’t know it, what would it be?
It’s strange but something that is very representative and that is also different from everything else would be the mass wine that we make for the ChurchAlthough the vast majority of consumption is still destined for the ecclesiastical sector, it is true that it is also sold for restaurants and for personal clients.
As a historic winery, what do you think of the role that technology plays in winemaking today?
It’s super important; Science and technology are there to facilitate and improve every industrial process and, in the end, winemaking and bottling are still an industrial process. It may be more or less artisanal, but it is an industrial process. Anything that involves helping the winemaker or, not only the winemaker, but also the stocks, quality control, helps a lot and the more you invest, the greater the return as well. We do not have to despise it, because it seems that being a historic winery cannot go hand in hand with being updated.
Your winery is known, among other things, for its mass wine; how does this come about?
This arises because the Vatican once required wine to celebrate mass, make a contest and De Muller introduces himself. The Muller family had a very good relationship with the clergy in Spain and managed to present their wine, with the fortune that wins the gold medal and becomes an official supplier to the Vatican. And this gives prestige to the wine itself and to the De Muller house within the church sector, which years later we continue to make the wine.
What are the requirements that a wine must have to use it at a liturgical level?
Well, what is said in the canonical regulations is that it has to be pure. They tell you a series of ingredients that cannot be used because it would no longer be pure in the sense that they are products that are not specific to the grape and the process of transforming must into wine. So, everything that is not typical of this raw material cannot be used, such as some type of chemicals, some type of clarifiers or stabilizers. It has to be a wine, as we would say, natural.
What would you like to be remembered about the current era in 50 years?
I would like it to be remembered that we always bet on those preparations that for a long time and many wineries in the area stopped making, which are the Tarragona Classic, these more traditional preparations. I would like us to be remembered for being fervent supporters and defenders of what our legacy is, that now, with all this fashion of recovering the traditional and returning to native varieties, there has been a turn to that current of internationalization, but we have always opted for that.
The Vanguard.
GML
