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Alanda

Alanda

Alanda Tinto is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodegas Quinta da Muradella in the Monterrei DO region. Just above the border of Portugal in northwest Spain, the region of Monterrei was part of an area whose rich geology was once prized by the Romans for mining, notably gold. Ancient findings have confirmed that the Romans are responsible for another of the area’s treasures, vineyards. The word Al-Anda means “Get going!” or “Get moving!” in English. Alanda is the first of several wines made by winemaker and proprietor Jose Luis Mateo. All the grapes grown to make Alanda are certified organic. The philosophy is to make a young red wine that showcases the varieties that were planted across Monterrei’s three different districts during the 1980’s: Mencia, Bastardo and Tinta Fina. At Quinta da Muradella, winemaker and proprietor Jose Luis and the highly respected Raul Perez, a consulting enologist, have done excellent work recuperating old vineyards and their efforts have earned accolades from wine publications including The Wine Advocate and Guia Peñin, the most influential and prestigious wine guide in Spain.

What makes this wine unique?

Organic viticulture. This is a low production wine, i.e. less than 1,000 cases total production for the world. Aged in old oak to preserve the fruit’s character and identity of the terroir. Alanda is a representative wine from Monterrei and it showcases the grapes from the 3 different districts.

Rating history:

2008 90+RP; 2007 92RP; 2006 91RP

Grape:

65% Mencia, 30% Bastardo and 5% Tinta Fina. All grapes are Certified Organic by CRAEGA (Consejo Regulador de Agricultura Ecológica de Galicia). The grapes that go into making Alanda come from all three districts of Monterrei: Pazo de Monterrei; at 430 meters (1,411 ft.) elevation, Tamaguelos; at an elevation of 390-460 meters (1,280-1,590 ft.), and Oimbra; sited at 400 meters (1,312 ft.) elevation.

Pairing Suggestions:

An excellent pairing is grilled or roasted red meats. The fresh and savory characters can work well with game such as rabbit or venison and game birds like pheasant, partridge and game hen whose meat has more sweet flavors.

Vinification and ageing:

The wine is made using a cool maceration with spontaneous, naturally occurring fermentation with indigenous, native yeasts. This approach retains as much of the fruit’s fresh aromas, palate flavors and most importantly the essential personality of the vineyards’ terroirs. Malolactic fermentation takes place in two-year-old French oak barrels to enhance the wine’s mouth filling roundness without introducing harsh barrel characters. The wine is aged for thirteen months in two-year-old French oak barrels.

Production:

880 cases made; 130 6-packs for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

Zone 1, towards the interior of Galicia, by the Portuguese border. The Tamega River divides the Monterrei DO region in two sections from north to south. The vineyards farmed are unique parcels. The soils from the Pazo de Monterrei and Tamaguelos vineyards are slate and clay, which contribute minerality and volume. Soils from the Oimbra vineyard are composed of gravel and sand and are expressed as powerful aromas, and complexity and depth of palate flavors in the wine. The climate is Atlantic (cold and wet) with a Continental influence (in general, extremely hot and dry summers with cold, dry winters). Monterrei is one of the DO regions within Galicia that is furthest from the Atlantic Ocean and its yearly rainfall is below average compared to other regions in Galicia. These inland Continental conditions result in a drier, warmer climate than western Galician regions. Average yearly rainfall for Monterrei is 23 inches; closer to the water in Rias Baixas the average is 93 inches.

Tasting notes:

An earthy minerality, rose petals, exotic spices, incense, cassis, and black raspberry aromas compose the bouquet of this spicy, savory, complex, but slightly narrow red. It has the structure to evolve for 1-2 years which may allow it to fill out. It can be enjoyed through 2018, perhaps longer.

Alcohol Content:

13.0%

UPC Code:

NO UPC CODE