On Sunday September 6th conditions were excellent for bringing in the grape harvest at a small vineyard on the slopes of the Sierra de Montanchez.
The sun was shining, the grapes were hanging in huge succulent bunches from the gnarled vinestocks. These particular vines are estimated to be 150 years old, very precious as they are pre- phylloxera, the vine disease which devastated vineyards in Europe in the late 19th century. The root system below the ancient vines is incredibly extensive, able to suck up moisture and minerals from deep down, able to produce abundant grapes even in the most extreme drought conditions.
The variety is Garnacha, one of the key ingredients in some of the world’s most famous wines, such as the Rhone blend, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, it is known for its berry flavors of bright strawberries and raspberries and notes of white pepper.
The wine made from this vineyard is Pagos de Mirabel, 100% Garnacha and completely ecological,both red and white from the Bodega de Mirabel.
Anders Vinding-Diers, a Danish wine maker,and his wife Andrea Sanchez-Walmsley established the bodega in 2006. It has gone from strength to strength and won many prizes. Their main objective is to produce high quality wines, small productions with their own peronality which express the terroir of the land, under the denomination "Vinos de la Tierra de Extremadura".
Anders comes from a wine making family,he has had an international career producing wine in France, Chile, Argentina, Italy and now Spain.
Since 2006 Bodega de Mirabel has gained 90 points in the Guia Peñin, the “Bible” of wines in Spain, and has appeared in specialized wine magazines both national and international. The first vintage of Pagos the Mirabel was in 2012 and was selected as one of the best new wines in Spain of 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Follow the latest news from Finca al-manzil- What to do and see in Extremadura and Beyond.............