ALTES HERENCIA 11 GARNATXA NEG
ROBERT PARKER 91 POINTS -“Another incredible value and full-throttle wine made from 100% Grenache, Herencia Altes’s vineyards are situated high on the hillside above the village of Batea, where grapes have been grown since the 15th century. This offering, from very old vines and aged completely in concrete, is a naked, unadulterated, unmanipulated effort with great minerality (from the chalky, limestone soils) and an intensity and richness (from the old vines) that are normally found in $50+ wines. As I told Eric Solomon, at these ridiculously low prices, consumers will never suspect the wines are at this level of quality. This outstanding 2011 offers loads of kirsch, raspberry, licorice, garrigue and chalky minerality. Medium to full-bodied and dense, it is best consumed over the next 2-3 years. A killer value, it is a custom cuvee made for Eric Solomon by proprietor Nuria Altes."Famed importer Eric Solomon’s mantra has long been “place over process”. If there ever was a wine that embodied this slogan it this Garnatxa (i.e. Gernache) from Catalonia’s still obscure Terra Alta region. As its name implies, this is a highland region (elevation is approximately 1300 feet) that is tucked away in the extreme south of Catalonia. It borders Aragon and Valencia and possesses precious plots of old bush-trained Grenache vines. The soils are excellent for fine wine production with plenty of limestone and good drainage. Really, the region has all the right elements of climate, soil, and vine material to make world class wines that, in time, should rival those of nearby Priorat. What Terra Alta lacks are more producers like Nuria Altes with the vision and passion to fully maximize the vast potential of the area. For many generations Nuria Altes' family has cultivated vines around the Terra Alta village of Batea. The Altes Herencia project was conceived to fulfill her dream to put Terra Alta on the map and showcase her family’s viticultural herencia (heritage). For this Grenache she has succeeded in spectacular fashion in capturing the electric fruit purity and mineral essence of this special place without the use of oak or high tech winemaking tricks.
