Altolandon is the romantic’s vision of winemaking. Winemaker Rosalia Molina heads up a small but very industrious team at the dizzy heights of 1100m in one of Spain’s smallest quality wine regions – DO Manchuela. Over the last couple of decades she’s acquired some enviable vineyards so she now has a whole host of varietals to play with. The cooler-than-normal temperatures give a crunchy, peppery character to an otherwise generously black-fruited red. Fermentations with natural yeast and no filtration in the winery means a wine with individuality and moreish intrigue in your glass. The kind of wine we really get excited about. Salud!

Rosalia believes in wine that’s made in the vineyard, grapes that are allowed to become wine in the winery without much, if any, intervention. They ferment with indigenous yeasts and are left to settle naturally over the winter so no filtration is needed. You can’t argue with this approach when you taste the individuality of every one of her wines.

Lovely tannins and structure, assertive but not dominant, with moreish black fruit that’s anything but cloying thanks to its natural freshness. A little bit of spice and pepper on the finish too. One of those rare wines that’s both interesting and very drinkable.

	2017
	Syrah/Shiraz
	Manchuela, Spain
	18-21°C
	14
	Oaked

Body of wine: Full

Pairings: