Adolfo Heredia
Head Winemaker for Heredad Collection
Expert winemaker Adolfo Heredia oversees the development and production of the Heredad Collection portfolio, the Freixenet Group's compendium of estates in prominent wine regions in Spain, which include Penedès, Priorat, Montsant, Ribera del Duero and Rías Baixas. As Winemaking Director of the Freixenet Group, he not only develops the wineries, but maintains maximum technical responsibility during the harvest, winemaking, bottling and production. Adolfo has made extraordinary contributions to the wines of the Freixenet Group over his 25 years of service with the Ferrer family.
Born in 1952 in Barcelona, Adolfo had a future of winemaking in mind from the start. He graduated with a degree in biochemistry from the University of Madrid.
Upon completing his studies, he was hired by Segura Viudas as the Technical Director in the winemaking departments of René Barbier and Segura Viudas. He quickly proved his expertise in wine technology, and after involvement in several significant studies within the wineries, worked his way up to Head Winemaker in 1979. He is also a member of such groups as the Organization of Catalan Oenologists, the Winegrowers Union of the Penedès, the Business Union of Cava, and the Tasting Committee on the Cava Regulation Council.
Outside of the wineries, Adolfo is very involved in wine research and frequently attends conferences and seminars on wine to stay abreast of the latest winemaking technology. Adolfo also teaches courses on Cava Technology through the Catalan Institute of vineyards and wines and the Polytechnic University of Catalunya since 1987.
Adolfo Heredia is dedicated to producing the best quality still and sparkling wines for the Freixenet Group, a direct result of his passion for winemaking.
Gabriel Suberviola
Winemaker at Segura Viudas
Gabriel Suberviola oversees winemaking for the Segura Viudas and René Barbier wineries in Spain, owned by the Ferrer family of Freixenet. Like many winemakers in Spain, Gabriel, born in 1952, was raised in a family sustained and enriched by the Spanish wine industry.
In the charming farm region of Navarra, Gabriel's youth was spent amongst the vineyards, replete with the activities one associates with rustic family winemaking. His early experiences with the vine were by his father's side, farming the grapes that, once harvested, he and other neighborhood children would stomp barefoot each year. These experiences were defining for Gabriel who sought to continue his wine education, first earning a degree in Chemical Sciences from Valencia University, followed by certification in Oenology and Viticulture at the School of Agronomist Engineers of Madrid.
Gabriel joined the Freixenet Group in 1980, starting as laboratory director at Segura Viudas. Later, he became technical director for Castellblanch Cavas (also part of the Freixenet Group) in 1981, where he remained until 1998. That year, Gabriel returned to Segura Viudas as Head Winemaker, also overseeing winemaking at René Barbier.
Acknowledging the evolution of his winemaking philosophy over the years he has worked with the Freixenet Group, Gabriel greatly emphasizes the importance of terroir in cultivating indigenous varietals. Gabriel's philosophy is tempered with the keen awareness that the path to achieving great wines is rooted, literally, in the vines, and admits that he learns new lessons each harvest that improve his viticultural techniques.
Gabriel serves as a member of the National Association of Winemakers in Spain and the International Association of Winemakers. In his free time, he enjoys reading historical biographies while tucked into the lush landscape of the Penedès.
Javier Aladro
Winemaker at Valdubon
In late 2003, Javier Aladro, Ph.D. joined the Freixenet winemaking team as Chief Winemaker for Valdubón winery in the Ribera del Duero D.O. in Spain. Javier, whose doctorate is in chemistry, is a former winemaker for Bodegas Croft in Jerez, Spain. He also has prior winemaking experience for Bodegas Jaro in Ribera del Duero.
Working directly with Head Winemaker Adolfo Heredia, Javier is responsible for all three levels of wines produced at this estate, including Valdubón Cosecha (the region's designation for its youngest wines), Valdubón Crianza, and the most recent addition, Valdubón Reserva.
Javier works to ensure the production of the highest quality grapes that the Valdubón estate can produce while employing the latest technology in an effort to maintain the integrity of these 100% Tempranillo wines.
Judit Llop
Winemaker for Morlanda & Fra Guerau
The daughter of vineyard owners in Terra Alta in Tarragona, Spain, Judit was born in 1978. After completing her degree in Agronomy at Tarragona University, Judit attained a degree in Oenology. She worked for Miguel Torres in Research and Development for five years before travelling to Chile to work in the fermentation department at Viña Errázuriz to broaden her experience. Five months later, Judit returned to Spain, working in a D.O. Montsant bodega for two years before joining the Freixenet Group's winemaking team in late 2003 at their Priorat and Montsant estate.
Witness to the resurgence of these regions virtually abandoned a decade earlier, Judit has a special appreciation for her work with Freixenet. She feels particularly fortunate to participate in the area's evolution through Freixenet's continual pioneering use of new technology.
