However, it was thanks to Joan Albert’s father, Jordi, and his wine and beverages distributing business, that Joan Albert was drawn into the world of wines. During that time, he discovered the greatness of the Riesling varietal, as well as the distinguished wines of the French Grans Chateaux.
As a result, Joan Albert started dreaming of making his own wines in Andorra. The idea of growing high altitude vineyards in Andorra had been in the back of his mind for as long as he could remember, even during the time he studied abroad.
For a long time, he had been studying the high terraces of the Muxella plots and its sun exposure, but there was plenty of room for improvement at the estate in order to plant vineyards. It wasn’t until some time later when, thanks to his father’s support, work began on the property and they could overcome minor setbacks .
The stars had aligned: the land turned out to be perfect for growing vineyards regarding sun exposure, orientation and ventilation. By the time refurbishing was completed, his father asked him what he wanted to plant and he didn’t hesitate: vineyards!
In 2005, Joan Albert Farré and his father planted 5,000 grapevines in the Muxella terraces of Borda Sabaté, at 1,190 meters above sea level, harvesting their first vintage in 2009. Thus, the Borda Sabaté wines were conceived with the Escol 2009, their first wine to hit the market.
Unfortunately, Joan Albert’s father passed away before the first vintage and didn’t have the chance to taste their signature wine. Since then, Joan Albert moved forward with the support of his loving mother Maria Mercè, who encouraged him to pull through.
The harvest has always been a reason to gather and celebrate amongst friends and family.