For centuries, the picturesque hills of Alicante have held a special beauty. It was here where Phoenicians first discovered and cultivated TRIGA – an ancient Latin term for union between three horses pulling a chariot now representative of this Spanish paradise’s mountain ranges: Salinas, Sima and Umbria. Despite its desert-like landscape with little rainfall annually (less than 6 inches per year), dry soil mixed with limestone chunks provide unique characteristics in perfect harmony to produce delicious fruit from these vineyards each season thanks to moderated continental climate influenced by Mediterranean temperatures all while experiencing cooler nights during summer months.
APPELLATION: D. O. Alicante
GRAPE VARIETAL: 85% ungrafted Monastrell, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
VITICULTURE: Traditional dry farmed viticulture. Goblet trained vines. Cultivated completely by hand, with minimal human intervention. Harvested by hand.
ALTITUDE: 2100-2450ft.
SOILS: The soil is dry and shallow, and is primarily composed of limestone, which is the mother rock. The soil is intermixed with large chunks of pure chalk. The largest marble quarry in Europe is located near our vineyards, testament to the chalky quality of the soils. Marble is the product of chalk, or calcium carbonate, that has been compressed over a very long period of time.
CLIMATE: Continental, with some Mediterranean influence. A very unique microclimate that is the result of the convergence of the three previously mentioned mountain ranges, combined with the high altitudes, that are unique to this sub-region of Alicante.
HARVEST: Beginning of October
WINEMAKING: The grapes are sorted meticulously at the winery. All of the vineyards are vinified in separate lots in order to take advantage of the unique characteristics of each site. Maceration and fermentation takes place in 3T-5T open stainless steel fermenters. The wine is pressed sweet in a vertical basket press very slowly over the course of twelve hours. It is transferred to the finest new French oak Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels to finish the primary fermentation and malolactic.
AGING: 22 months in new French oak Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels
WINEMAKER: Rafael Cañizares
UPC#: 853891002338
750ml / 12pk