An incredible story!
A top estate expelled from its appellation!
That was the remarkable story we were able to tell you two years ago about this outstanding estate from the Montsant region.
The Anguera brothers, Josep and Joan, have always stayed true to their roots: born and raised in Montsant, they were pioneers in their region.
It was their father, Josep Sr., who ensured they received a proper education and worked in the vineyards from a young age. Sadly, their father passed away far too early.
Joan and Josep were barely in their early twenties when he passed, and suddenly they were on their own.
Fearlessly, they honoured their father’s legacy:
caring for the oldest and best vineyards of the Montsant appellation and producing wines with character, initially quite technical, focused on concentration and extraction, very much in a 1990s style.
Just as they had learned at university.
Over time, they evolved and tasted wines from all over the world. Driven by passion and curiosity, they decided in 2010 to completely change direction: they fully embraced biodynamics.
From then on, their wines became much finer and more elegant, but yields dropped by half.
They could no longer use phytosanitary products, and their wines became more expensive.
We have been working with them since 1994, when their father was still alive. After this shift, many importers worldwide turned their backs on them.
We, on the other hand, fully supported their new vision and stayed with them, even when it was commercially difficult.
For more than ten years, they worked in this style, harvesting early to preserve freshness, what we call a non-interventionist style, often referred to as natural wine. And their wines improved every year.
In 2019, another turning point: their harvest was already finished by mid-September when they visited Emmanuel Reynaud of the famous Château Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They joined him during harvest and had a revelation: he worked exactly like their grandfather used to.
Firmly convinced of the quality of their vineyards, they decided to change direction once again: no more early harvesting and non-interventionism, but classic wines like their grandfather and Reynaud made.
From one year to the next, everything changed again, this time for good: they now harvest last in the entire region. The grapes (mainly Garnatxa) are very ripe, almost raisin-like.
They vinify with 100% whole bunches. At that stage, the stems are ripe, adding a true Mediterranean character instead of the green notes often found in underripe grapes.
Everything is vinified together without intervention. Everything is done naturally, without adding anything, except a small amount of sulphur at bottling.
As many of our clients have experienced, the result is spectacular: by waiting longer, yields are even lower (harvest between early and mid-October), the colour is lighter (due to the stems), but the fruit and Mediterranean character are so expressive and appealing that we have become even bigger fans: this is where the finest Mediterranean-style Garnatxa in the world is made!
In short: 2020 was their first vintage in this new style: very precise, with great character.
2021 was even better, though slightly lighter in colour due to rainfall.
Then came 2022: when presenting the wine to the appellation board, Altaroses 2022 was rejected for being too light in colour and therefore not typical of the region…
Sometimes we are still surprised by how short-sighted certain appellations can be, and how little they understand what truly defines quality and typicity.
This is Montsant as it used to be: Mediterranean and ripe, yet refined and elegant. Only the very best can achieve that balance.
Imagine their disbelief when the appellation told them to darken their wine because it was too pale.
The middle finger was the obvious answer. How could they ever alter their wines?
They had no choice but to leave the appellation, with a heavy heart, as they were the oldest estate of the D.O. Montsant.
And meanwhile, we have already reached the outstanding 2024 vintage of this remarkable wine!