Bramaventu

History of Domaine Bramaventu

The story of Domaine Bramaventu is one of an encounter between Champagne and the Mediterranean. Lotte and Carlo are a passionate couple who used to vinify and blend Champagne before embarking on their own adventure. Carlo Canali Chiavelli is an oenologist, sommelier, and holder of the WSET diploma. He notably served as cellar master in the prestigious Côte des Blancs, in Champagne, where the idea of Bramaventu was born. Lotte, a graphic designer and illustrator, shares a deep love of nature, gastronomy, and wine, and is the creator of the estate's visual identity.

Inspired by their experience in Champagne, they decided to settle in Banyuls-sur-Mer to create a unique sparkling wine with a very personal touch. The name Bramaventu, which evokes one who loves the wind, pays tribute to the powerful winds that sweep across this high-altitude terroir. A pioneer of its kind, the estate became the first to produce a quality sparkling wine in Banyuls using the classic method, with the highest standards of quality and a manual, natural, and deliberately limited production.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Bramaventu

The terroir of Domaine Bramaventu extends over 2 hectares of old vines planted at approximately 300 metres above sea level, above Banyuls-sur-Mer. This altitude is essential to the lightness and freshness of the wines, in a southern region where heat typically dominates. The vineyard benefits from a unique climate, at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, and from the powerful sea breezes that caress the plots.

The soils are composed mainly of schist, complemented by precious plots of limestone for the red wines. This geological bedrock, combined with the iodine influence of the nearby sea, gives the wines distinctly fresh, mineral, and saline notes — a true signature of the estate. The vines, sometimes over 80 years old, are tended exclusively through organic farming, in the utmost respect for living matter. True to its philosophy, the estate favours the expression of a single grape variety, a single vintage, and a single plot for each of its single-vineyard cuvées.

Vinifications at Domaine Bramaventu

Winemaking at Domaine Bramaventu is rooted in Carlo's Champagne expertise, applied to an unprecedented Mediterranean terroir. The sparkling wines are crafted using the classic method, with a second fermentation in the bottle, without the use of additives and with a deliberately low dosage in order to preserve the purity of the fruit and the mineral tension. Each cuvée is the result of manual, natural work on a very small scale, for a production capped at approximately 4,000 bottles per year.

For still wines and sweet wines, the estate employs equally demanding artisanal techniques, such as indigenous yeast fermentations, manual punch-downs, and the use of raisined or botrytized grapes. The expedition liqueurs for the sparkling wines are sometimes crafted from sweet wines made from the estate's oldest vines, reflecting a constant pursuit of coherence and originality. This meticulous approach yields wines of great finesse — at once fresh, complex, and deeply marked by their origin.

The cuvées of Domaine Bramaventu

Bramaventu: the estate's flagship and premium cuvée, this rare single-plot sparkling rosé is crafted using the classic method in Banyuls-sur-Mer — an unprecedented feat in the region. Its salmon-pink colour precedes a pure, highly mineral and delicately perfumed attack, with wild berries, marine notes, and a saline citrus vivacity. The mousse is ample and lingering, enhanced by an iodine touch, for a fresh and powerful wine with an elegant, chiselled finish. Sourced from a single vineyard plot facing north and north-east at 300 metres above sea level.

VentuVentu: a vibrant and more accessible sparkling rosé, crafted using the classic method from a blend of old vines (approximately 80% grenache noir and 20% macabeu). Round and balanced, it is refined by a low dosage, whose expedition liqueur comes from a raisined sweet wine sourced from a very old macabeu vineyard of over 80 years. Its Mediterranean-pink colour is accompanied by a creamy nose of ripe fruit and almond, while the palate unfolds quince, lemon curd, and ripe fruits, with a fine acidity, a juicy texture, and a gentle salinity. A fruity, soft style through and through.

Bandarò: an artisanal red wine produced in very small quantities, sourced from the single-plot vineyard of the same name, in 100% grenache planted on purely calcareous soil, from 80-year-old vines. The brilliant ruby-red colour precedes a delicate, fruity nose of strawberry and cranberry, underlined by herbaceous notes and rose water. The tannic structure is fine, the acidity lively, the whole at once round and ample, with a long saline finish. Vinified with 25% whole clusters, using indigenous yeasts, manual punch-downs, and pressing on the tenth day, on a hillside planted with vines since Antiquity.

Vin Santo: an extremely rare and little-known artisanal sweet wine, produced in minuscule quantities. It is crafted through the combination of three methods for obtaining luscious wines: overripe grapes, botrytized grapes, and sun-dried grapes. The 2021 vintage yielded only around one hundred bottles in the 0.375-litre format, making this cuvée a collector's piece for lovers of sweet gems.