When Silvia Puig set out to make a single barrel of wine in a garage in Torroja in 2008 she was in the red so she named her project En Números Vermells, which means exactly that. As a consultant who is behind the wines of renowned producers in Priorat like Clos Figueras, she felt it was very important to make her own wines in “limited quantities so that the artisan element is valued.”
Born in El Vendrell in Penedès, Silvia arrived in Priorat in 1999 following in the footsteps of her father, who after founding Avgvsts, swapped the gentle hills of his birth place for the rugged slopes of Priorat to establish Viñedos de Ithaca. The winery was eventually sold, but Silvia still buys grapes from many of her dad’s old purveyors including the one that sold them the Pedro Ximénez grapes with which Viñedos de Ithaca produced the first Pedro Ximénez white at a time when the region was almost exclusively about red wines. Interestingly enough, Silvia only owns one vineyard and it is planted to white grapes.
Having her own winery also sparked an artistic vein that had been dormant for many years. As she only made one barrel, it was too expensive to order personalised cases, so Silvia decided to decorate them herself. Today, her customised packaging adds a unique touch to the project.
The range of wines has developed gradually. It started off with Números Vermells Classic (around 1,600 bottles, €31), a blend of Garnacha Peluda and Syrah with 5% Cariñena added recently. In 2012, she released Números Vermells Etiqueta Negra (Black Label, €27), a blend of different types of Garnacha with 110-year-old Cariñena vines planted on coster in Porrera. Thereafter came two single-vineyard whites: Pedro Ximénez (600 bottles) and Garnacha Blanca (1,700 bottles), sold each for about €24 in Spain. In both wines, the grapes -sourced from northern Poboleda- are macerated with their skins and fermented in open barrels.
In 2012 Silvia rented new premises from the cooperative in Gratallops. Having more space (she processes 18,000 kg of grapes at present) has allowed her to add a new, simple red aged for just eight months in barrels called Aiaiaia (3,000 bottles, €18). Unlike the rest of her wines which are sourced from old vineyards, grapes for Aiaiaia come from younger vines and include Garnacha, Cariñena, Syrah and just 1% of Garnacha Peluda.
The range is completed with two reds reatailing at around €44 in Spain: a centenary Cariñena planted in coster in an area of Porrera close to Torroja, and a seductive, Garnacha Peluda (a rare variety in Priorat) labelled with Silvia's very first design. The only variety she avoids is Cabernet Sauvignon.
Altogether, she produces around 9,000 to 11,000 bottles and this is the size she is comfortable with. Silvia is not interested in expanding, but rather in working freely and expressing herself. While her wines can be found in five countries, she sells directly in Spain and also makes wines on demand as a way of generating income. "I have specialised in small productions for people who share my philosophy", she explains.
Her wines are always available in Brots, the highly recommended restaurant owned by her partner, the Belgian chef Pieter Truyts, in Poboleda. The drawings on the wine list, by the way, are designed by Silvia.
