[Project to develop the charm of cool, high altitude Garnacha]
The Alto Horizonte project is based in the villages of Nabatalgordo and Villanueva de Ávila, in the province of Ávila. Stretching along the north and south banks of the Rio Alberche, the region's mountainous terrain creates one of the most unique and challenging viticultural regions in all of Spain. Due to population decline, many of the old vineyards have been lost and no new vines have been planted.
Due to the diversity of the terrain in the Sierra de Gredos, it is not possible to find large vineyards, but instead there are numerous small plots (micro-parcels) of old Garnacha vines scattered throughout the region. This region is one of the coolest Garnacha growing areas in Spain and is one of the highest, at over 1,100m in altitude.
Aurelio and Micaela's goal is to celebrate the region's remaining old Garnacha vineyards and promote their importance to Spain's viticultural heritage.
The soil is granite and varies in depth from plot to plot.
Some of the grapes are left whole and some are destemmed before use. The wine is vinified in concrete tanks, stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, and the original character of the wine is preserved through fermentation using wild yeasts, careful extraction and aging in stoneware vessels, as well as the use of concrete tanks and large French oak barrels.
