Tasting of the fresh and elegant wines of Herència Altés in Terra Alta, on Wednesday May 25th at 19h.
Organic wines born from the love for a land and the commitment to take care of it.
On Wednesday we will discover a rosé of Grenache with a litle of Syrah and Hairy Grenache, a ‘solidarity’ orange from White Grenache, one red from Hairy Grenache and, finally, a red Syrah with a little of Hairy Grenache.
Herència Altés.
Manifesto
"I remember when I was a little girl that the sound of the tractors at dawn marked the beginning of the grape harvest and that for days all the streets of the town smelled of grape juice. It was my parents and, above all, my grandparents, who passed on to me the values of being from such a place, and like an old vine, with my feet rooted to the earth, I grew up and loved my surroundings.
When Rafa appeared in my life we wanted to give wine form to this land of stones, of dry land, of old vines, of hospitable and cheerful people, of cierzo and garbí. I will never forget the feeling of opening the doors of our winery for the first time, at that moment we started a project that not only praises my ancestors and a way of cultivating the land, but is also symbolic of the town where I was born and grew up.
We want our wines to be a reflection of their terroir. It is the vines and the land where they rest that are the absolute protagonists that fill our bottles so that when someone in our house, or on the other side of the world, tastes our wines and closes their eyes, they feel the same aromas that I felt when I was a little girl at the beginning of the grape harvest."
Núria Altés
Altés Estate
Organic wines born from the love for a land and the commitment to take care of it.
Herència Altés is a family winery in Terra Alta dedicated to the cultivation of vineyards and the production of fresh and elegant wines.
We are committed to organic agriculture and to a way of working that is sustainable and respectful of the environment, which promotes a rich biodiversity that, in turn, helps us to strengthen our soils and our environment. Caring for our natural and historical heritage, preserving old vineyards and dry stone margins, allows us to continue growing and making wines so that future generations can continue to enjoy the land and its fruits.
We work with the native varieties, emphasizing the Garnacha grapes and highlighting the Garnacha Blanca, the flag and insignia of our land. We elaborate our wines in the most natural and respectful way possible and always looking for the maximum honesty and varietal elegance.
When you taste our wines, they transport you to a place, Terra Alta; a character, our terroir; and a way of making, Altés Inheritance.
In the field
We work all our estates manually and organically, always with the utmost respect for the environment and for the natural and cultural heritage. We understand vineyard cultivation as part of the ecosystem since it is this balance between agriculture and the environment that is capable of guaranteeing the well-being of the vineyards and combating the threats facing agriculture. All our work is aimed at respecting and maintaining this balance.
In 2015, we started the transition to organic farming and, as of today, all our vineyards are certified organic. In addition, we practice agroecology, using alternative techniques to keep the vineyards healthy and help generate life in the soils and in the territory.
In an environment with low rainfall and a terroir poor in organic matter, as is the case of Terra Alta, we understand the soil as an ally to nourish the plants. For this reason, we respect the soil structure as much as possible and make rational decisions by adapting to the particularities of the climate. Thus, depending on the wind blowing or the humidity, we opt for one methodology or another, always thinking of enhancing the richness of each soil.
We seek to maintain and perpetuate the viticultural legacy of old vineyards, enhancing the subway richness: deep and strong roots that endure over the years. With this purpose, we work most of our vineyards in goblet form and without irrigation, so that our cultivation adapts to the drought conditions of the territory and strengthens the roots.
But our winemaking project goes further: through our environmental project, we promote, on the one hand, the protection of our landscape, formed by a mosaic of small agricultural plots interspersed with margins of "dry stone" and forest cuttings, and, on the other hand, the recovery of biodiversity, native fauna and flora often threatened by unsustainable practices or displaced by foreign species.
Herència Altés – Celestrina – DO Terra Alta
Red Grenache with a litle of Syrah & Hairy Grenache.
A very gastronomic rosé with a very special liveliness.
Celastrina is a small blue butterfly. Its common name is Naiads from Greek mythology, which refers to the typical habitat of this species, near the water course, shady and humid areas.
Early manual harvest. Direct pressing with whole grapes to limit contact with the skin. Only the first fraction of the most is used, the flower most, obtained with gentle pressure. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeast in stainless steel tanks. Bâtonnage of the fine lees for three months to achieve more creaminess in the mouth and a long shelf life.
Tasting notes
Pale salmon-pink color with small bluish reflections. Fine and complex aroma, a mixture of floral notes and fresh fruit, with hints of Mediterranean herbs. On the palate it has a very fresh and friendly entry with a sweet sensation. Velvety mid palate, with a balance between fruit, minerality and an acidity that is present but not aggressive at all. Long and persistent finish.
Herència Altés – Llunari 2019 – DO Terra Alta
White Grenache.
The Herència Altés winery took part in the “Solidarity Harvest” of 2019 and Llunari is the wine that emerges from that day that links wine tourism with social awareness in favor of people in a situation of vulnerability and risk of social exclusion and poverty.
In all, more than 150 people took part and it was an evening harvest. The 'Lo Grau de l'Inquisidor' estate - with white Grenache vineyards - was chosen for harvesting for about an hour.
All the money raised in the 2019 edition went to two charities: the association 'Kilòmetre Zero' of Tarragona; and the 'Alba Jussà' association of Pallars Jussà.
Climate
Mediterranean with a marked continental influence that brings cold winters. Two prevailing winds greatly influence the quality of our grapes. These are the "Cerç", a colder wind from the northwest that prevents the grapes from losing their natural acidity, and the "Garbí", a gentle sea breeze that ensures that the grapes ripen properly. Both winds also prevent disease and rot in the grapes.
Vineyards
Our interpretation of an orange wine is a 100% old White Grenache vine from calcareous soils.
Elaboration
Once the 15 kg boxes of organic White Grenache harvested on the Lo Grau de l'Inquisidor estate were collected, they spent 24 hours in a cold room (between 4-5ºC).
The grapes are then skidded to direct the resulting paste to a concrete tank where fermentation will take place spontaneously with the native yeast that was awakened in a vat foot made by the children participating in the harvest who crushed the grapes with their feet. .
After 15 days of fermentation with the skins, the must is pressed to separate it from the paste and continue and thus finish the fermentation in the same concrete tank and make a subsequent aging with its mothers for 6 months.
Tasting notes
Thanks to the long maceration with the skins, this organic wine is intensely aromatic with notes of white flowers, peach and a touch of citrus. Lots of creaminess and fine unctuousness that caresses the entire palate. Due to its aging on the stems, this wine evokes old times with aromas of old bread ovens.
Pairing Proposal: Baked white meats or cod with allioli muslin.
Herència Altés – La Pilosa – DO Terra Alta
Hairy Grenache.
A refined and elegant wine that seems shy at first, but contains wild notes.
The woman who illustrates the label symbolizes the strength and character of the wine, being sour, fresh, spicy and wild, transgressive and rebellious. A wine that caresses the palate, with a fleeting onset and a sweet permanence. Restless and sublime is La Pilosa!
The Hairy Grenache is a natural and intelligent mutation of the Grenache to adapt to the hot and dry climate of the Terra Alta and thus conserve water for longer through perspiration through the pores of the reverse of the pampas (hair). Grapes with less color and more acidity.
Manual harvest in 20Kg boxes. Before entering the winery, the grapes are cooled at 4ºC for about 24 hours, followed by a selection of the best grapes. Vatted in two types of tanks, stainless steel and concrete, with 30% whole grapes, while the rest is destemmed and crushed and fermentation begins spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, a process that we accompany with gentle "pigeages" diaries. Malolactic fermentation and aging for 12 months in 5,000-litre Austrian oak foudres and a further 12 months in a concrete tank.
Tasting notes:
The Hairy Grenache (Garnacha Peluda) seems shy at first, but it awakens its wildest face as it opens up.
Bright garnet color, medium layer.
On the nose it gives notes of raspberry and spices, combined with a herbaceous point, just like on the palate, which despite having a very fresh and light entry, leaves a spicy character with an explosion of black peppercorns and cloves at the end.
Refined and elegant palate, with a long aftertaste.
Herència Altés – Lo Grau de l’Inquisidor – DO Terra Alta
Syrah 90% & Hairy Grenache 10%.
A serious wine with the depth of an aged wine and the characteristic freshness of a Terra Alta.
In Lo Grau de l’Inquisidor Estate, archaeologists have found a Roman settlement sheltered by ancient vineyards of Grenache Blanca.
LO GRAU Estate
At more than 450m above sea level, the vineyards of Lo Grau de l'Inquisidor, planted 35 years ago, are grown organically and respecting the natural cycles of viticulture. An environmental project for the recovery of fauna and flora that favors biodiversity is being developed on the same farm and, therefore, it is directly involved in the health status of the vineyard and its grapes.
Manual harvest in small boxes of 15Kg. After spending 24 hours in a cold chamber, the grapes are skidded and undergo alcoholic and malolactic fermentation in a 1,500-litre frustoconical foudre, with light daily manual pigeages. Aging in two 500L French oak barrels for 24 months.
Limited production of 1500 bottles.
Tasting notes:
Dark and intense color, double layer. The nose reveals violets, cocoa and spices. Very rich on the palate, deep, with a lot of volume and structure. Sweet tannins but with a very lively freshness. Long and persistent finish.