Bodegas Altolandon, Con Altura Pét-Nat, Manchuela, Spain, 2023

Producer Profile

At Bodegas Altolandon, owner and winemaker Rosalia Molina makes organic wines in one of Spain’s highest altitude wineries.

Her mission is to craft wines that express the typicity of DO Manchuela – its vineyards, its altitude and the varieties planted. This is viticulture on the edge of what is possible: at 1,100m above sea level, the grapes experience a large diurnal range that encourages even ripening and helps to retain natural acidity. Rosalia’s vineyards are certified organic, employ only natural fertilizers and promote biodiversity by allowing chickens, sheep and pigs from the local farms to roam freely. The grapes are hand-harvested and vinified as naturally as possible with native yeasts and minimal intervention. The wines are then aged in clay amphorae and some in French oak to give them the requisite texture and complexity.

Viticulture

The vines are planted in deep loose soils at an altitude of 1100 metres where the vineyard contains very little organic matter and are mostly loamy, well-drained and aerated.

Winemaking

The Muscat grapes were harvested in October and the fruit was gently pressed into a stainless-steel tank, where it settled for a few days before being racked off its heavy lees. Fermentation then starts, and the wine is bottled to capture the carbon dioxide. This ancient method of making sparkling wine creates a gentle carbonation. As the wine is unfiltered it will have a cloudy appearance and some sediment in the bottle, which is entirely natural.

Tasting Note

Apricot yellow in colour, this Pét-Nat is intensely aromatic, with white and pink flowers, subtle scents of honey and orange blossom, mandarin and stone fruit, all carried through on soft creamy bubbles. On the palate, there is texture from the lees, yet a remarkable freshness, with an explosion of stone fruit and flowers, with a clean dry finish with excellent acidity and herbaceous notes.

Food Matching

Perfect for poultry, fish, seafood and lightly spicy, Asian cuisine as well as matured cheeses and charcuterie.