Dulce Enero – Ice Wine 2022

The Wine

100% Petit Manseng. The name of the grape comes from its small, thick skin berries. With small yields of the grapevine, they’re left on the vine till January (Enero) to produce an Ice Wine. Vinified as a richly sweet wine with stone fruit characters such as peach, apricot, citrus & sweet spice.

This low yielding variety enjoys a long ripening season; giving the grapes time on the vine to shrivel. Sugar content is concentrated as the excess water evaporates. The thick skin, loose bunches & a high level of acidity makes this extended time on the vine possible. This variety is able to retain the acidity, balancing out the sweetness contributed by the naturally high sugar content, without danger of botrytis.

Manchuela DO

Manchuela DO is a wine designation in Spain, in between the provinces of Valencia, Cuenca and Teruel, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. This region is known for producing wines, particularly reds, from grapes like Bobal, Tempranillo, and Garnacha. The climate in Manchuela tends to be continental, with hot summers and cold winters, which can influence the characteristics of the wines produced there. The designation of origin helps to regulate the production and quality standards of wines from this area.

Climate Conditions

The high altitude of 1100 meters above sea level of the Altolandon vineyards have the ideal conditions for high quality production, giving the wines unique and special characteristics in the world. The wine is born from the grape, but the altitude at which it is grown and the terroir from which it comes are fundamental to the final result.

The higher the altitude, the more and better the solar radiation and thus the greater the thermal amplitude. The higher the altitude, the more tannins. The altitude provides a refreshing effect that increases the acidity indexes thanks to the thermal amplitude which results in a higher accumulation of aromas and flavours.

These climatic conditions mean that during the last months of the gestation period, the grapes ripen slowly and over a long period of time. This results in smaller berries with a higher proportion of skin than pulp, which is essential for red wines, as the tannins are found in the skin.

The wines from these grapes offer great variety of colour, breadth and depth of aromas and great complexity on the palate. They are also much more suitable for ageing in barrels, because the higher the acidity and proportion of tannins, the greater the possibility of obtaining wines for ageing.

Vinification

Harvested in January, when temperatures have remained below minus five degrees for at least five consecutive days but never below minus 13 degrees. These weather conditions mark the beginning of this harvest, which is
why this wine cannot be produced every year. Manual harvest of frozen but healthy grapes without rot, which are quickly pressed in the same vineyard as the grape, with the ice crystals still in the grape which causes a high
concentration of sugars in the must & acidity, due to the dehydration.

This improves the extraction of the aromatic components. Fermentation with native yeast is a very slow process, it can take 2 to 3 months & it’s done in small stainless steel tanks. A completely natural wine, no sulfites, stabilization or clarification. Everything happens by natural sedimentation process.

Aromas & Taste

Golden almost amber in colour, very intense nose with tropical fruits, peach, apricot, citrus fruits & spices making it very attractive. Palate with complex aromas of white & stone fruit, a medium body with a long finish, sweet but fresh due to its acidity. Therefore not cloying, very mineral, with persistent hints of honey.

Ideal as an aperitif, or to accompany foie gras or cheeses, especially strong and tasty cheeses but surprising with Iberico ham, snacks, ice cream, cheese cake or sponge cake & a very rich dark chocolate. Also great with prawns with lemongrass, cilantro & ginger, a glazed apricot tart, chilled bananas & lychees in sweet coconut milk Certified Organic & Vegan.

Ideal serving temperature 8ºC.

Craziness

Altolandon Brand Page

Altolandon Website