Appellation: none
Cuvée: Atikete
Colour: Red
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache Noir in equal proportions, plus 10% Macabeu
About: The name comes from the word for etiquette when it refers to dressing up for a special occasion. This wine is a bit different from the others being aged in wood for 18 months. The label shows ‘mudstone with ignites’ In the transitional environments and in the sands at the edge of the lakes there is activity of organisms. The traces of these organisms indicate the energy of the environment and the favourable conditions for their vital activity. The ichnite associations indicate what the palaeo-environment of the area was like.
Vines
Location: Espluga de Francolí
Size ha: From 3 ha Cabernet 3 ha Red Grenache and 5,7 ha Macabeu
Age: Cab Sav planted 2001, Grenache Noir 2009, Macabeu 2004
Soils: limestone Eocenne-Oligocenne
Exposition: various
Altitude: 400 m
Training: cordon double royat
Farming: biodynamic, cover crops, grasses, herbs, and flowers adding to soil health, retention of moisture, and bio-diversity.
Average yield hl/ha: red 11, white 20
Climate: mediterranean with fresh nights and cold winters
Winemaking
Each variety is separately de-stemmed and put in stainless steel to ferment with 10 to 12 days on skins before racking off and put into old French and American oak barriques to age 18 months. No pressing (Jordi doesn’t own a press). The wine remains there until bottling, without fining, filtration or clarification after 9 months.
Vintage Notes 2013
Yield hl/ha: 11
Harvested: Grenache Sept 28, Cabernet October 2
Bottles produced: 1500
Date bottled: 13-08-15
Alcohol %: 14
SO2 Total: 3 mg/l not added
Vintage notes 2018
Bottles produced: 3,400
Date bottled: 2020-01
Alcohol %: 12.5
SO2 Total: < 4
Tasting: 2021-02-23 rich and rounded, deep dried fruits, chocolate, melted tannins, wonderful.
Vintage notes 2019
Very hot and dry year for the most part. But there was a good rainfall end July and middle of August to aid a perfect maturation. Stylistically rich, full fat fruit, some residual sugar that doesn’t put me off and bottled in a heavy bottle, not due to the RS but due to lack of delivery of regular bottles due to covid restrictions.
Bottles produced: 3,500
Date bottled: 2021-01-15
Alcohol %: 12.5
SO2 Total: < 4
Vintage notes 2020
A very challenging year in all ways, with heavy and persistent rain causing mildew problems and widescale loss of fruit. But the season finished well with fine weather during summer and harvest time and some purchases of fruit to make up for some losses.
Vintage notes 2021
Another challenging year due to drought and high temperatures (and covid restrictions) but it was bookended by rains in Spring and in September that provided freshness and focus to the wines. It was a very long harvest from late August to end October. The yield was finally surprisingly good and the wines have a great balancing vegetal acidity.