Partida Creus

Massimo Marchiori & Antonella Gerona, an Italian couple originally from Piedmont, started Partida Creus in 2001 after moving to Bonastre in Narboneta, in Catalonia, to grow fruits and vegetables. When the local wines didn’t meet their standards for quality natural wine, they decided to make their own!

Patrida Creus is special in that unlike the locals, Massimo and Antonella took a chance on old vines of regional grape varieties - meanwhile, their neighbours thought they were crazy to not tear them up in favour of growing more mainstream, profitable grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Their vineyards are mainly old, low-yielding vines of grape varieties that were long considered obsolete by other winegrowers in the area: Sumoll, Garrut, Trepat, Bobal, and Cartoixa among others. Whenever an opportunity arises, they buy or lease vineyards with such vines from neighboring winegrowers in order to farm them sustainably - they even accepted an abandoned plot of Bobal bush vines even though it was 400km from Bonastre in Narboneta!

Another element that makes Partida Creus unique in the area, is they were one of the first to be determined from the start to not farm with chemicals, which as Massimo quotes in our documentary, was unheard of in the area at the time. In many ways, their success with the forgotten grapes and farming in a more sustainable way has actually influenced some of the very critical neighbours to work without chemicals for their own vineyards too… finally.

In the vineyard, everything is farmed sustainably, no pesticides are used, and grapes are hand harvested with the help of his friends Orazio and Vincenza (a donkey and a mule). The pair have a lot of land, with much of it leased from neighbours who do not have the interest to grow the older varetals like Sumoll and Cartoixa Vermell. Massimo and Antonella bring new life into their forgotten grapes, and the natural wine world is happy for this!

In the cellar, there is more observation than intervention, and no added sulphites added at any stage. Cuvees are fermented in large steel tanks to impact the the wines the least, while single-varietal wines are often matured in various styles of oak barrels.

The resulting wines have a fresh acidity, direct fruit, and are lower in alcohol - quaffable, refreshing, and perfect for a sunny day!

Popular wines include their entry level VN Blanco and VN Tinto, as well as BB (made of Bobal), GT (Garrut/Monastrell), and XL (a pet nat). Their iconic labels stand out, but can be confusing. The meaning behind the names are generally the type of grape used. I.e XL is Xarel-lo, BB is Bobal, SM is Sumoll.

The entry level Partida Creus wines, which are the VN range, are named after a style of wine called Vinel-Lo, which is essentially a low alcohol table wine made with grape pomace, which is the style of lightness owners Massimo and Antonella aim for with both the VN red and the VN White.

Partida Creus are one of the leaders in promoting natural wines made without sulphites. Together with their winemaking friend, MC and known natural wine promoter Clovis Ochin (who also makes his own wines in Bonastre at the Partida Creus winery), they together organise the Natur-all wine fair in the Loire valley around the same time as La Dive. This fair only features producers who use no sulphur whatsoever in their wines, and is growing in popularity despite having only been hosted twice.

As the Partida Creus wines do not use any sulphur, sometimes they can become unstable after bottling - so it is recommended to age the wines a little, especially if they have arrived in the post like on morenaturalwine.com or other internet retailers.

Our favourite Partida Creus wines include:

• SK - A beautiful Zibibbo, or Moscatel as it is known in Spain. Fresh, light, fragrant and floral.
• CX - A delightful, quaffable Rosé to be enjoyed on a hot afternoon
• XL - Refreshing Xarel-lo with nice acidity and a nice reductive touch
• BRUTAL!!! This wine varies year to year, with some being more approachable than others in stability. We tried the 2023 in tank and absolutely loved it, for a vibrant, punky red-white blend.

Where exactly are Partida Creus based?

Partida Creus are based in a small town called Bonastre, which is in the Baix Penedès region of Catalonia, Spain. This area is not too far away from the lovely seaside town of Tarragona. The address of their cellar is TV-2041, 43884 Bonastre, Tarragona, Spain

Which other producers are close to Partida Creus?

Catalonia is full of good natural wine producers, and close to Partida Creus you can find Escoda Sanahuja & Jordi Llorens, whilst a little further away you can find Clos Lentsicus, La Salada and many more

What is the association between Clovis Ochin and Partida Creus

Clovis Ochin has been good friends with Antonella and Massimo of Partida Creus for many, many years since when he was a wine importer discovering and bringing quality wines to french company Culinaries. Their friendship has blossomed over the years and Clovis Ochin actually makes his own wines in their winery (you can see him in the video during the wine crush). The three also host the Naturall / Natur-all wine fair in the Loire together, which features only producers not using sulphur in their wines.

What is the best Partida Creus wine?

Of course, this is down to personal preference but our personal favourites are SK, CX, AA ancestral, CX and depending on the vintage the Brutal wine!.

How long can I store Partida Creus wines?

Partida Creus wines can be stored in a cool, dark environment for many many years and the reds will only get better if drunk within 10 years. However, once opened, it is advised to finish the wines in one sitting as some bottles lose their stability with oxygen and thus will not taste quite right the next day (depending on the bottle). We advise all customers to age their Partida Creus wines for a few months after receiving as they can sometimes take some time to become stable after bottling