General Information

Just higher than the vineyards in the Swiss Valais, the location "Cerro Las Monjas" represents the altitude record on the European mainland. If you include the island world, in Europe only Tenerife wine grows at an even higher altitude.

In the Cerro Las Monjas vineyard of Barranco Oscuro in the Alpujarras - the southern part of the Sierra Nevada - grow on a few hectares of vineyards Garnacha, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Despite the height, the vines deliver perfectly ripe grapes every year, which is hardly surprising, since the winery is located at the same latitude as Tunis. What is always astonishing, however, is the balance of sugar & acidity and power & energy inherent in the grapes. 

This has a lot to do with Manuel Valenzuela's 40 years of experience, but it is certainly also due to the special conditions to which the vineyard is exposed: on the one hand, there is the sea, which seems far away, but whose rising humidity in the form of clouds brings again and again much-needed water into the vineyard. On the other hand, the light changes at an altitude of more than 900 meters, becomes more intense and leads to a changed photosynthesis, which in turn has an effect on the plant, the grape skin and the pulp and, obviously, on the aromas. Last but not least, the massive temperature differences between day and night also play a role, which can sometimes be more than 20°. 

The 1368 was fermented spontaneously. The expansion took place over 18 months in used barriques. The 1368 was neither beaued, filtered or sulfurized.

Style

Has power & structure, elegance & depth, dark fruit & pepper. The 1368 is complex yet inviting, juicy and cool and has an invigorating acidity that gives it tension and energy. It is densely woven and fabricated and constantly puts pressure on the palate. After almost 10 years in the bottle, the texture is soft, the body balanced and the finale finely spicy and sustainable.

Datasheet

• Grape variety: Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
• Plant protection:only sulphur, copper and vegetable or animal-based preparations, not certified
• Vineyard: Slate & Clay, Cerro la Monjas at over 1300 meters (1368), stock culture
• Reading:by hand
• Fermentation:spontaneously | wild yeasts, 2-3 weeks maceration in a small wooden barrel
• Ageing:18 months in small, used wooden barrel
• Filtration:no
• SO2: unsulphured
• Alcohol:15%
• Closure: Natural corks
• Drinking temperature:16-18°C
• Perfect drinking maturity:from now on - 2030
• Content and price per litre: 0.75 l/(€41/l)