Spain > Catalonia > Terra Alta > Jordi Miro
organic, Vegan
The Terra Alta is located in western Catalonia in the province of Tarragona, along the ancient Roman road from Zaragosa to Tortosa. Vines have been cultivated in the region for over two thousand years. It is here that Jordi Miro has developed his unique and compelling wines from a combination of native Spanish and introduced French varieties.
Jordi’s passion for wine started at an early age. As a child, he worked in his family’s vineyards alongside his father, Miguel Miro. There he learned to prune, plow, cultivate, and harvest.
The family has been growing grapes in the region for generations - Jordi’s maternal grandfather had his own small winery, while his
paternal grandfather, Jaume, was a renowned grafter in the region and an expert cultivator. After having worked most of his life for other wineries, Jordi planted his own 5 Ha (12.5 acres) of vineyards in 1999. The soils are calcareous and poor in organic matter. The vineyard is dry farmed and the only fertilizer is an occasional spreading of composted vine cuttings and grass from the vineyard. The vines are cultivated in classic trellis style, with 9 feet between the rows and 3.5 feet between each plant, for a total of 2500 vines per Ha. The average yield in the vineyard is 3 lbs per vine
In 2009, Jordi began to construct his own small winery. He built it himself, brick by brick during his free time. Today, Jordi experiments to create innovative new wines and styles. Traditionally in Terra Alta, whites and reds were produced by the skin contact maceration process. Jordi's wines combine traditional methods with a modern touch. The result is wines that are fresh and silky in the mouth.
Jordi still uses the lessons he learned from his father, doing all the work himself. He prunes, plows, thins the vines, harvests, ferments, rakes, cleans the vats and bottles the wine. Harvest starts with the first light of the day and is done by hand, into small cases. Jordi’s philosophy is to do as much as possible in the vineyard to create the wine there, and then vinify with minimal intervention.
Ennak (unoaked “joven” wine)
A blend of (40%) Red Grenache, (18%) Merlot, (17%) Tempranillo, (25%) Carignan.
Fermented in 2 batches (Tempranillo/Merlot and Grenache/Carignan), starting on the skins but finishing without skins to avoid tannin extraction. Stainless steel. Super bright and fresh, juicy and clean.
Ennak+ (an oaked “crianza” wine)
Varieties: 35% Syrah, 33% Grenache, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Tempranillo, 5% Merlot
Winemaking: Tempranillo and Merlot are cold soaked together for 5 days with regular remontage. Alcoholic fermentation finished without skins, to avoid extracting bitter tannins. The Garnacha is harvested at about 70% of phenolic ripeness, looking for freshness. Whole cluster fermentation.
Aging: 12 months in French oak barrels (equal blend of 1st to 4th year barrels). Larger 300 l barrels are used for the Merlot and Tempranillo.
Production: 250 cs
Tasting Notes: "Deep red. Lively and sharply focused on the nose, displaying energetic raspberry and blood orange aromas, with suggestions of smoky minerals and potpourri. The palate is lithe and precise, displaying bitter cherry and red berry flavors that sweeten in the glass. Finishes with silky, tripping tannins, good persistence and lingering lavender and bitter chocolate notes." -Josh Raynolds