Javi Revert: “Location matters more than vine age”

Javi Revert is one of the rising stars of Spain's Mediterranean wine scene. In 2015, he set out to revive part of the winegrowing heritage of La Font de la Figuera, his family's village in the south-western corner of Valencia province, which was on the verge of extinction.

The village lies in a transitional area on the route to Spain's vast southern plateau, and Alicante on the Mediterranean. It is crossed by St James' Way and marks the meeting point of the Alforins and Les Alcusses valleys, the main sources of wine production in the Clariano subzone of DO Valencia.

“Before the phylloxera plague, there were 25 wineries in the village, most of them located beneath people's homes, each with its own buried tinajas (earthenware jars) and concrete vats,” Revert recalls. As in many other areas, these small, family-run wineries gradually disappeared with the arrival of cooperatives. The local cooperative, La Viña, was founded in 1945. With 2,500 hectares owned by its members and an annual production of around 15 million litres, it is now the largest in DO Valencia .

"During this period, not only did winemaking change, but so did the landscape," argues Revert. "In the past, vines were planted on the poorest soils, on slopes and in mountainous areas where few crops could  grow. However, when demand for grapes and profits rose, vineyards moved down to the valley, where yields are higher and farming can be mechanised.” His goal is to recover part of what was left behind.

This has taken some time. In 2015, while working as a winemaker at Celler del Roure (a post he held from 2008 to 2020), Revert started planning his own project. Encounters with producers such as Dani Landi and Fernando García of Comando G in Gredos, and  tasting the wines of  Domaine Gauby in France's Roussillon, were pivotal. “These are wines that transport you directly to the vineyard rather than the cellar. I identified an area in La Font de la Figuera that resembled Gauby's work, and I realised that it was feasible to build a vineyard-focused project here.”

A site of one’s own

Els Juncarejos is a series of slopes that descends from Penya Foradà, a geodetic point at 978 metres elevation. From here, the views over the Alforins and Les Alcusses valleys are spectacular, framed by the dramatic terraces built by the Moriscos on steep mountain slopes.

For Revert, this area stands out among La Font de la Figuera's different terroirs. He particularly values its northern exposure and elevation (between 700 and 830 metres, compared to the village average of 500 metres),  along with its exceptional shallow soils. Sitting on limestone rock, they contain around 70% sand and enough silt to retain moisture. By contrast, the whitish soils of the valley are loamy and clay-rich. "In a way, mountains are more important than elevation," notes Revert. "It's better to be at 800 metres on a hillside than on a plateau."

"The same variety ripens here 10 days later than in the valley. Traditionally, this area was planted with white grapes or early-ripening Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet), but with climate change, I have planted other red varieties that are adapting well.” He is referring mainly to Arcos and Garnacha.

For his first 2016 vintage, Revert used five hectares that he had recovered in Els Juncarejos, including the ungrafted white vineyard planted by his grandfather in 1948, the source of his wine Micalet. He has since added six more hectareshere, forming the backbone of the Javi Revert Viticultor project. Other vineyards inherited from his grandfather cover around seven hectares: trellised plots either nearby or in the valley. These grapes are either sold to the cooperative or used in La Comarcal, a négociant project he launched with his friend and former colleague at Celler del Roure, Víctor Marqués.

Young vines vs. old vines

All the vineyards that form part of Javi Revert Viticultor are listed in detail on its website, with charts showing age, planting date, size, and the wines they are destined to. The white Micalet and the red Simeta come from the oldest vines, but new plantings made from massal selections will gradually supply these wines as they come into production.

“Location matters more than vine age,” says Revert without hesitation. "In this area, old vines were the first to be neglected because they were in the most challenging places and yields were very low. The best sites were the first to be abandoned."

His new single-vineyard Foradà (€60), which he regards as a grand cru, exemplifies this vision. It comes from Terrazas, his two highest plots, which together cover 2.2 hectares. Arcos and Garnacha vines were planted in 2018 on sandy, chalky soil. First released in the 2022 vintage, production is just a few hundred bottles, but will eventually reach 6,000 once the vines are in full production. In fact, Revert expects to produce 2,000 bottles in 2024. The first harvest was 2021 but was blended with Simeta grapes to create a limited-edition wine for the celebrated cultural magazine Matador. The label featured a work by Joana Vasconcelos, who was the guest artist for the Y edition of the publication.

The slow ripening in theses plots pushes harvest into October. In fact, grapes for the current 2023 release were picked on 10 October. Fermented with stems and aged in 500-litre barrels and glass demijohns, the resulting red wine is light-bodied with crisp fruit and wild herb notes that evoke the surrounding landscape. Despite its lightness, it has notable depth and length, qualities not easily found in young vineyards.

In contrast, Simeta (€45 for just under 3,500 bottles) is the only wine in the project sourced from a south-facing vineyard. This 80-year-old plot has similar soils  but is richer in iron. It is  savoury, tight and structured, with cocoa aromas and  a faint metallic note on the finish.

The old and young vines of Els Juncarejos converge in Sensal (9,000 bottles, €22), the highest-volume red in the portfolio. Fermented with stems, it aims to express the vineyard’s character (red fruit, scrubland, sapidity and a good texture in the 2023 vintage) in the most straightforward way, with ageing taking place entirely in concrete. Vintage variations are respected: the 2024 blend has more fruit weight thanks to a higher proportion of Monastrell.

Evolving styles

Revert started his project in an 80-square-metre garage before moving into one of La Font de la Figuera's traditional cellars, with an underground area that is ideal for ageing wine. Two things catch the eye immediately: the line of empty bottles shared with friends — a familiar sight among many of Spain’s new generation of  winemakers; and second, the eclectic mix of winemaking and ageing vessels.

Over time, Revert has reduced the use of barrels. “The Mediterranean is hot enough to use containers that add extra sweetness and structure to the wines,” he says. He used tinajas in the past, but now ranks glass, concrete and foudres as his preferred materials. The long heatwave last August only reinforce this approach. “We are picking small, lightweight grapes, which means more structure and tannins,” he explains. Mildew also caused millerandage, reducing yields,  but after three years of drought, the positive news is that vines have grown new shoots.

“In the Mediterranean, the end of the cycle has the greatest impact on wines; what happens in August and September is crucial,” he says. This year, we had no August storms to refresh the grapes.” In fact, this is his earliest vintage since the very warm 2022. He did benefit from some rain in 2023, which he believes lent the wines a lighter, sharper profile. In 2024, another dry vintage, rain once again had a positive impact on the final outcome.

Climate shapes winemaking decisions as much as style -if not more. This is most evident in the white Micalet (2,000–5,000 bottles, €33), a field blend of Tortosí, Trepadell, Merseguera, Malvasía and Macabeo, all sourced from Revert's oldest vineyard. The 2020 and 2021 vintages were aged entirely in concrete vats, but in 2022, he experimented with oak to add a Burgundian touch. The lesson learned: avoid oak barrels in warm years.

In 2025, only glass and concrete demijohns will be used, but it is interesting to compare the 2023 and 2024 vintages, which saw 20% and 30% oak ageing respectively. The 2023 wine, sure to appeal to wine nerds, is austere yet juicy, with chalky precision on the finish. In contrast, the 2024 is fuller, richer in texture and likely to please a broader audience. “When you remove oak, the austerity of the limestone comes through,” says Revert.  Though once captivated by Burgundy, he now draws inspiration from Château Simone in Provence and Valentini’s Trebbiano d’Abruzzo.

Putting La Font de la Figuera on the map

Revert's commitment to  his village goes beyond his own wines. In 2024, he started collaborating with La Viña cooperative to develop a range of terroir-driven wines. The first step was to select 15 hectares of old vines in high-elevation areas and vinify them separately. This new range will use the village and lieu-dit designations recently authorised by DO Valencia.

The project also includes a Nat Cool wine in partnership with Dirk Niepoort, highlighting the region's potential for fresh, easy-drinking red wines. Bottled in its signature one-litre format, 3,200 bottles of the 2024 vintage were produced, with 6,000 bottles expected this year. This Nat Cool that will be sold soon as a village wine evokes the area's traditional winemaking practices: multiple grape varieties and ageing in concrete vats. The inaugural blend was equal parts Monastrell and Forcallà, along with 5% Arcos. "We are looking for a crisp, fresh style between 12% and 13.5% alcohol," notes Revert.

Looking ahead, the project –named Alt de les Fonts – will expand with a white village wine  and four single-vineyard wines: a white and three reds, made from Forcallà, Monastrell and Arcos respectively. We will soon be reporting on these developments in detail.