In 2001, two architects from Turin made a decision that would change their lives completely. Massimo Marchiori and Antonella Gerosa sold their practice, moved to the small village of Bonastre in the Baix Penedes region of Catalonia, and began looking for abandoned parcels of indigenous vines. What started as a search for an authentic rural life became one of the most compelling natural wine projects in Spain.
Backstory
Marchiori and Gerosa, the founders of Partida Creus, had no formal winemaking training when they arrived in Bonastre. They bought a ruined cottage, restored it, and set about identifying plots of old and often forgotten local varieties that other growers had abandoned because of low yields. Their first wines were released in the early 2000s and quickly attracted attention in the natural wine world for their energy, purity, and commitment to genuinely local raw materials. They are members of Slow Food International and have worked entirely without sulfur at any stage of production since the beginning.
The Region
Partida Creus is based in Bonastre, in the Massís de Bonastre, a rugged limestone massif in the Baix Penedes, inland from Tarragona. The area is less well known than the northern Penedes centred on Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, and the Marchiori-Gerosa approach is different in character: more fragmented, wilder in feel, with parcels scattered across the landscape rather than a single consolidated estate.
Vineyards and Farming
The estate works biodynamically, with horse and donkey assistance in the vineyard rows. Marchiori and Gerosa focus on rescuing varieties on the verge of extinction in the area, including Garrut, Sumoll, Gra Gros, Queixal de Llop, and Vermell, alongside more widely known grapes such as Macabeu, Xarel-lo, Garnatxa, and Samsó. Many of the vines are old and low-yielding, farmed without chemical inputs. Annual production exceeds 100,000 bottles, making Partida Creus one of the larger natural wine operations in the region.
Winemaking
Every Partida Creus wine is fermented with wild yeasts only, and nothing is added at any stage: no fining agents, no filtration, and no sulfur of any kind. The approach is what the natural wine world calls zero-zero. Vinification is intentionally minimal, allowing the character of each variety and parcel to speak without interference. They also produce MUZ vermouth, a traditional style made from estate grapes.
The Wines
Partida Creus releases a wide range of single-variety cuvees, each named by a two-letter abbreviation: TN (Tinto Natural), VN (Vinel-lo), GN (Garnatxa de la Costa), XL (Xarel-lo), SP (Subirat Parent), BB (Bobal), CX (Cartoixa Vermell), and BN (Blanco Natural). A CL Clarete also appears in the range. The cuvee Brutal is a skin-contact white. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, with no added sulfur.
