Herencia Altes La Pilosa Garnatxa Peluda

"Memories of childhood, games amongst the vines, I still smell the start of Autumn, aromas of vine that drifted through the narrow streets of the village. The legacy of a grandfather, somebody so important in my life, other ancestors too, that have passed on the pride of the land where I was born. Herència Altes is an homage to my roots and as such the grapes come exclusively from the vineyards of Benefut, El Mas vell i Almudefer, which belongs to my parents." - Núria Altes.

Núria Altes is a native of Batea, Terra Alta, and her family have been growers for generations. A proud Catalan, Núria is deeply immersed in the history of the region and will gladly recount the stories of her beloved land over a glass of Garnatxa Negra. She worked in local wineries before forming a partnership with her English husband, Rafael De Haan, to start Herència Altes, a project proudly carrying her family`s name in tribute to their work in the vineyards of Terra Alta over many generations.

Grenache - or the locally styled Garnatxa - is the calling card of this up-and-coming quality wine region, and the team at Herència Altes is working tirelessly to put both their beloved region and its flagship grape variety on the world map. The estate combines carefully maintained old vine Garnatxa vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery, every inch of which is designed to lower its impact on the environment, relying almost entirely on solar power and recycling rainfall for use throughout the facility. All of the vineyards are farmed according to organic practices, with all of their cuvees now certified organic. One of Núria`s favourite wines she makes is La Serra Negre, as it pays homage to her grandfather, someone who was very special in her life. Like the 100 year old vines the wine is made from, his life spanned many events and decades and his stories never failed to make her smile.

At Herència Altes, they enjoy experimentation with new styles and expressions. As well as their fantastic white and red Garnatxas, their range includes two orange wines. Llunari, a delicate light orange Garnatxa Blanca which spends 20 days in contact with the skins, and Trementinaire, which refers to `the wise women of the mountain, the healers, the witches`, made from old vines Garnatxa Blanca which spends four weeks skin contact.

Garnacha,

Manual harvest in 200Kg cases. Before entering the winery, the grapes are cooled at 4ºC for about 24 hours, followed by a selection of the best grapes. Vatted in concrete tanks with 50% whole bunches where alcoholic fermentation (spontaneously with indigenous yeasts) and malolactic fermentation will take place, processes that we accompany with gentle daily pigeages. The wine is then pressed and transferred to a 5000 Liter Austrian oak foudre to age for 8 months.
Very smooth stabilization and filtering.

“Hairy” Garnatxa seems to be a shy variety at first, but its wilder side comes out as flavours and aromas open up. A bright, medium intense, claret colour. Aromas of raspberries and spices combine with a herbal touch. A very fresh and light first taste in the mouth soon leaves a spicy character bursting with black pepper pods and cloves towards the end. A refined and elegant palate with a lingering aftertaste.

Nolan - Text from the Spotlight on Spanish Garnacha

Staying in Catalunya, here we have our first of two different mutations of Garnacha, sorry, Garnatxa, sneaky Catalans! This version is Garnatxa Peluda, more simply known as hairy Garnacha! No, the berries are not like grapey kiwis, it is the leaves that are covered with fine hairs, not the grapes, so don’t worry about a furry textured wine. These hairy leaves do have a purpose, the hairs around the stomata on the vine leaves help to trap and retain moisture so the vines are even better in arid climates than standard Garnacha Negra!

Garnatxa Peluda’s trademark hairy leaves have the added bonus that it is harder for small pests to munch on the leaves themselves. It is not just the leaves that differ from the more common Garnacha Negra. The wines themselves tend to be lower in alcohol and are lighter on the palate, almost leading the wine to be more “Pinot Noir-y” in style.

To elevate this fresher more vibrant style of Garnatxa, Herencia Altes have treated this wine gently in the vineyard and in the winery. Hand harvested fruit is fermented in concrete tanks with 50% whole bunches, similar to production in Beaujolais. The wine is aged in huge 5000 litre Austrian foudre’s to add complexity to the wine without the effect of oaked flavour characteristics. All this gentle treatment allows the natural spice of the Garnatxa to show. Notes of clove, black pepper and Mediterranean herbs are the highlights here, backed up with waves of creamy raspberry.