This is a beautiful amphitheatre-shaped property overlooking the Mediterranean, set within the Serralada de Marina Natural Park, just 19 kilometres from Barcelona. Winemaker Josep María Pujol-Busquets and his wife Cristina Guillén founded this family-owned estate in 1991 with barely four hectares, committing from the outset to organic viticulture. Their daughter Mireia has since played a key role in the project’s development.

The family initially produced Cava and still wines under the DO Alella appellation. In 2012, they launched Celler de les Aus, an independent winery within the estate specialised in sulphite-free wines which fell outside the  Alella appellation. In 2025, they introduced the umbrella brand Art Laietà to unify all these projects, alongside others that may arise in the future. The name Laietà had already been used for some of their cavas, which refers to the ancient Iberian people who once inhabited Catalonia's central coast.

Art Laietà produces around 300,000 bottles a year including Cava and organic and natural wines, with exports accounting for 55% of the total sales.

In March 2017, the family sold the brand Privat to Perelada and invested the money in the purchase of vineyards to focus on producing terroir-driven still and sparkling wines. In addition to the original Can Genís estate overlooking the sea, the family owns a further 15 hectares in the neighbouring village of Tiana. They also farm vineyards in Vall de Rials on the other side of Alella, an area characterised by terraced terrain. With 68 hectares under vine, the winery now works exclusively with estate-own grapes. 

Vines are planted on decomposed granite soils commonly found in the area. Known locally as sauló, these soils with no lime or organic matter help to give acidity to the wines. Art Laietà is firmly committed to recovering local varieties such as Pansa Blanca (Xarel.lo) and Mataró (Monastrell or Mourvèdre), while also experimenting with disease-resistant vines to minimise intervention both in the vineyard and in the winery. Other varieties grown in the estate are Macabeo, Parellada, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (white) and Syrah, Petit Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Garnacha (red). There’s also a 1950s vineyard planted with Pansa Rosada on a slope (coster, in Catalan).

Organic Cava and still wines

Since the 2015 vintage, all of the estate’s Cavas come under the premium Reserva, Gran Reserva and Paraje Calificado (single-vineyard) categories.

Mirgin -the result of joining the names of daughters Mireia and Georgina- is the brand for Cava Reserva. The style features a fine, linear palate with citrus notes and a long finish. The range includes a white blend of the three Cava varieties, Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada (€15), and a rosé version made with Monastrell.

Cava Gran Reserva is sold in elongated bottles -a tribute to the Rhine-shaped format which once common in Alella. Their shape is also a safeguard against counterfeiting. The range includes Laietà Gran Reserva (€24-€26), made as a white blend and as a Monastrell-based rosé, and two Cava de Paraje Calificado wines: Opus (€38) and Exeo (€58). Grapes for both Opus and Exeo are sourced from the Vallcirera vineyard, but the styles are different. While Opus is a blend of 60% barrel-fermented Chardonnay and 40% unoaked Xarel.lo, in Exeo the percentage of each variety is reversed and both are fermented in oak.

In exceptional vintages, Art Laietà releases  excellent-quality library editions of Exeo. Known as Exeo Evolució+, ageing periods can extend up to 18 years. The most recent addition to the premium range is AA 10 Pujol-Busquets Guillén (120 €), a superb cava aged at least for 10 years.

All Art Laietà cavas are bone-dry, zero dosage sparkling wines. According to Josep María Pujol-Busquets, “the real revolution in the sparkling category will come when fizz is treated as wine.” In his opinion, “for Cava to become really international, we must get rid of dosage, which is essentially a tool used by the big houses to homogenise their wines.” The Catalan producer insists on the distinctive character of his Cavas given their proximity to the sea.

The range of organic, still wines combines international and indigenous grape varieties. Consumers can choose between Lanius (Chardonnay, €23), Orbus (Syrah, €33), or Cau d’en Genís white (Pansa blanca, €18) and red (Garnacha Peluda €19), and the sweet Dolç Mataró (Monastrell), sold at around €21 (37.5 cl. bottle).

At the natural wine winery Celler de les Aus (the birds’ winery), all wines are named after local bird species. The range include pet-nats under the brand Puput in white and rosé versions (€12), as well as still wines made with indigenous grapes like Tallarol (Pansa Blanca, €14),  Merla (Monastrell, €22), and the orange wine Tallareta (€17, formerly called simply Orange), made from Pansa Blanca and Rosada. There is also a sweet wine called Puput Monastrell (€21, 37.5 cl. bottle).

Art Laietà offers a wide range of tourist activities. Visitors quickly sense how fortunate Josep María and his family are to live in the 1900s manor house standing right in the centre of the property, and how generously they share such a privileged spot. Activities range from yoga sessions among the vineyards and painting classes for kids using wine instead of crayons, to tastings in English, and a varied programme of cultural events. The ultimate indulgence is a helicopter trip from Barcelona to enjoy terrific views of the coast.