Altaroses 2021

Altaroses is a red wine made in Darmós, in the Montsant DO. Its grapes come from the estate which the wine is named after and, like all those owned by the winery, it's cultivated under biodynamic principles with certification since the 2012 vintage, the culmination of a historic respect for the land and its fruits. After harvesting the grapes by hand and treading them underfoot with no destalking, the must undergoes alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel; the malolactic occurs in concrete tanks, in which 80% of the wine will also be aged for 12 months. The remaining 20% matures in used oak barrels for the same length of time and both vinifications are blended just before bottling and without filtration. After an essential decanting and once in the glass, the red fruit and clean-cut bramble aromas combine with spices and fine lactic notes. Immediately, the change of style introduced by the winery some years ago can be discerned, when there was a move away from a dark, powerful red towards producing elegance and refinement. Its tannins are intense yet noble, since the old barrels in their 5th or 6th year, hardly imparting any aromas to the wine, fine tune it with a polished tannicity. The amount of sulphites is minimal and the nose benefits from it, bestowing strong hints of cherries, liquorice and a clear sensation of minerality. Its distinctive acidity interspersed with delicate bitter touches turns it into an amazing and original wine, a "granatxa" of the olden days, when with one sip you felt you were right out there in the vineyard.