CASA LO ALTO’S BOBAL IS AWARDED 90 POINTS IN THE ARTICLE DEDICATED TO THE VARIETAL IN DECANTER MAGAZINE

In 2017, Casa Lo Alto embarked on a new era, based on the protection of the environment and biodiversity in the production of Vinos de Paraje (exclusive, locally-produced wine) so that the terroir can be appreciated in each bottle.

A few days ago, the Master of Wine Sarah Jane Evans granted a great accolade to the project by awarding 90 POINTS to the 2017 Manzán in the first report that the British magazine Decanter has dedicated to Bobal. This score has only been achieved by a limited number of brands globally, and this inclusion in the select group of the best wines in the world has been received with great joy by the entire team at the winery.

In the article, it is commented that “Bobal is a variety with potential, much still to be realised. What it needs is care and attention.” And at Casa Lo Alto, we’re based on an organic cultivation with environmentally-sustainable viticulture practices. The 150 hectares of the estate are considered as a whole, in which the life that develops in the almond groves and the pine and oak forests interacts with the vineyard.  To achieve this, we promote the biodiversity of the environment and we avoid the use of synthetic chemical products in order to maintain the typicality of an active soil, rich in micro fauna. That is why each plot is different and unique. And that is the differentiation we want to lock into each bottle of wine.

Decanter describes the sensations of the 2017 Manzán as “Intense nose of dark berries, milky chocolate and spice. Bold savoury brooding entrance with mocha, bitter coffee and liquorice. Silkily textured with uplifting freshness. Appealing”.

Each of the Manzán vintages are different from one another and subtle changes in the wines can be perceived because, as we continue to learn about the terroir, we develop a better understanding of what the vines can produce. All the wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, and we have incorporated modern concrete tanks into the fermentation and ageing processes so that the terroir and fruit can play an increasingly important role.

Since 2017, we have been deepening our knowledge of each plot and have initiated a project to analyse the subsoil with ultrasound, which will be completed with trial pits at different points across the terrain. In parallel, we have implemented a Forestry Management Plan in the forests surrounding the estate in order to enhance their protective effect as a filter against possible pests and external influences. As Sarah Jane Evans says in her article, there is “much still to be realised”.