As Liz Carey puts it, 'Joan Rubio’s wines are captivating and the most elegant wines I have tasted from Catalunya; pulsating and precise.' Joan Rubio studied viticulture in Taragona before returning to work in the family Cava house and following that one of the most prestigious Cava houses in Spain. However, his drive has always been to change things. After attending a conference on biodynamic farming, Joan was convinced this was the path for him. Now he and his wife have an estate Cal Tiques. Planted to Xarello predominantly, supported by Macabeu, Monastrell, Tempranillo and Sumoll, new plantings of Malvasia de Sitges as well as cereals and olive trees. The soils are composed of clay and limestone, with some plots rich in fossilised ocean sedimentary. The wines generally undergo some sort of extended skin contact maceration.