Mas Alta
Winery Mas Alta was founded in the town of Vilella Alta in Priorat in 1999 by Belgian families Lambrecht and Vanhoutte with the technical assistance of well-known French winemaker Michel Tardieu.
Priorat, in the province of Tarragona, in the southwest of Catalonia, is a small Spanish mountainous wine region officially recognized with the highest quality status ‘DOQ’ or Denominació d’Origen Qualificada, located in the province of Tarragona, in the southwest of Catalonia.
DO is Spain’s wine quality control system where each region is assigned its own and DOCa (DOQ in Catalan) is the highest category, reserved for regions with above-average grape prices and particularly stringent quality controls. Rioja and Priorat are the only two regions considered above DO status.
Although typical Prioratino, Mas Alta wines have always been characterized, however, by a particular and recognizable character: wines with a special warmth, depth and elegance.
The Location
Located in the heart of the Priorat, in the municipality of La Vilella Alta, Mas Alta’s vineyards enjoy a unique land that gives the grapes their distinctive characteristics. Crossed by the Montsant River, the town is located in a small valley that offers an unprecedented diversity of soils for such a small territory with the composition of black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella, as well as a range of altitude between 300 to 550 meters.
The steep slopes, the unique composition of black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella and the sunny climate collaborate in the creation of wines with character, complexity and elegance.
Unlike other towns in the Priorat designation of origin, Mas Alta’s vineyards are located in an isolated area, at the foot of the Montsant mountain range, in a place with little exposure to the Garbinada, a wind from the sea. However the vines must endure a particularly dry Mediterranean climate, with an annual average of around 300 mm per year, divided between the months of October to April, with hot and very dry summers. Their resilience shines through in the resulting wines, full of character, complexity and elegance.
The Story
The estate was founded 25 years ago by two Belgian families with a common desire to restore the ancient Garnatxa and Carinyena vineyards of the region, cultivate new vines and make wines that give vivid expression to the distinction of the Priorat terroir.
Mas Alta owns 35 hectares of vineyards and the winery also holds contracts with other small producers of the area who have old vines that add to the full Priorat essence of their wines.
The vineyards are worked and harvested manually thus ensuring minimal intervention. “We are proud of our commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment. We implement ecological practices in our vineyards and winery, ensuring that each glass of Mas Alta wine not only delights the palate, but also embraces responsibility towards our planet.” Bodegas Mas Alta
The Wine
At Bodegas Mas Alta, each bunch of grapes is meticulously selected, each barrel is chosen with precision to ensure that each bottle that bears the winery’s name is a sensory masterpiece. Their commitment to wine excellence is reflected in every stage of the production process, from harvest to bottling.
The wines are made from native grape varieties, such as Garnacha and Cariñena. These varieties, combined with innovative winemaking techniques employed by experienced winemaker Bixente Oçafrain, give rise to wines that capture the spirit of Priorat.
Another virtue of this winery is its wide range of prices, offering us everything from a fantastic and powerful Els Pics, the most affordable and accessible, to a powerful and balsamic La Creu Alta, its most select cuvée.
Els Pics
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has awarded the Els Pics 91 Points: “The 2021 Els Pics, the entry-level red, is a blend of 60% Garnacha, 40% Cariñena and 5% each Merlot and Syrah from different soils. It fermented in concrete with short macerations and matured in barriques and the more subtle varieties in foudre and concrete for 14 months. It has 15% alcohol, a juicy and full-bodied palate and a balsamic nose mixing herbal and spicy notes with black berry fruit. It feels a bit jammy, with round tannins. 66,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023.”
Artigas
Artigas has consistently received great marks from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate as well with for instance 92+ Points for the 2020 cuvée: “The floral and perfumed 2020 Artigas is elegant and fresh, balanced and with abundant, fine-grained tannins and with much more freshness and elegance than the 2019 I also tasted next to it. The wine is young and the oak is still there, but it’s neatly folded into the fruit.”
