Alto Horizonte El Cerro Brujo

D.O. Cebrebos

Navatalgordo, in the Valley of the Alto Alberche, in the province of Avila.

100% Garnacha Tinta

El Cerro Brujo, a single plot of old vine Garnacha planted on a 37% slope

1929

Traditional dry-farmed, organic, biodynamic viticulture. The vines are head-trained and the vineyards are plowed by horse.

Given the steep slopes of this site, it is a site with a tremendous amount of erosion, and as a result, the soils are extremely shallow, and are composed of sand originating from the decomposition of the granite mother rock.

The Sierra de Gredos is one characterized by a high altitude mountain continental climate. From October to May Atlantic weather systems result in periods of high wind and precipitation, and as is characteristic during the summer across Spain, very dry con

After a rigorous selection of the clusters, 100% whole clusters are transferred to 1,000L stainless steel tank. A pigeage is carried out to lightly break up the clusters, which is followed by a 3-4 day pre-fermentative maceration at low temperatures. Fermentation begins spontaneously, and maceration is kept to an absolute minimum, "steeping" the wine with the whole clusters. After fermentation the wine undergoes a gentle press in a vertical basket press.

Malolactic and 14 months of ageing are carried out in a neutral 500L French puncheon and two 54L glass carboys.

The Alto Horizonte project is based in the villages of Navatalgordo and Villanueva de Ávila, which are located in the province of Ávila, flanking the north and south banks of the Rio Alberche. The mountainous terrain creates one of the most unique and challenging geographies for cultivating vitis vinifera in all of Spain, which, combined with emigration from the region has resulted in a massive loss of old vineyards, and a total lack of new plantings. Given the variation in the terrain, it is impossible in the Sierra de Gredos to find extensive vineyard sites, resulting in a massive diversity of microparcels of old vines of Garnacha. This is one of the coolest and highest altitude appellations for the cultivation of Garnacha in Spain, and Aurelio and Micaela's goal is to contribute to the maintenance and celebration of these spectacular old vineyards of Garnacha, which form an important part of Spain's viticultural heritage.