Bodegas Mas Alta Romani La Basseta 2017
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Robert
Parker
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La Basseta has at its core young vine Garnatxa planted at 600 meters in elevation in the village of La Vilella Alta that has been supplemented with Syrah or Carineyena over the years. After years of being supplemented, this young vine fruit had gained expressiveness and purity to the point that in 2017 it began to be made without any additional components. Due to the steep elevation of this site, its mix of schist and clay soils, and the increasing age of the vines, the quality and ripeness of the stems are more in sync with the physiological ripeness of the fruit. Basseta is harvested by hand, fermented by indigenous yeasts with 35% whole clusters in concrete vats followed by aging in 225L French oak barrel, blended then aged in concrete vats and foudres. La Basseta, while showcasing the richness and polish typical of Mas Alta, is the most delicate and floral of the wines from this estate.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The oak is much better integrated in the 2017 La Basseta than in the 2016 I tasted last time. It's a single-vineyard pure Garnacha (it used to have some Syrah in the past), from a vineyard that names the wine, planted in 2000 in the village of La Villella Alta; the vineyard has always been farmed organically but does not yet carry certification. It fermented in concrete vats with wild and selected yeasts and aged for 16 months in new and used barriques followed by time in concrete and foudre. It's powerful and ripe (15.5%) but shows good balance, and the tannins are finer, still a bit dusty.
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Robert
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Robert
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Robert
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Choice of vineyard is crucial for the production of highly expressive wines that combine character and elegance. We have planted some 35 hectares of vines since 1999 on land classified as being part of the DOQ Priorat, carefully selecting the plots in so doing. In fact most of our vineyard is planted at altitude, on slate. Depending on the plot's characteristics, we either plant varieties traditional to this region – carignan and grenache – or varieties such as cabernet sauvignon or shiraz. These young vines, whose potential quality is already very promising, represent the future of Bodegas Mas Alta: We also purchase grapes from local winegrowers, often from the village, to make our wines. These winegrowers are the custodians of Priorat's traditional heritage.
In fact the essence of our vintages – old vines – comes from these winegrowers. Vines aged 50 years and more naturally produce fewer grapes, the first step towards quality wine...
Their deep, well-established roots thus enable them to achieve full maturity, consistency, less dependence on climatic conditions. It is without question the ultimate, pure expression of the terroir.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
Tiny and entirely composed of craggy, jagged and deeply terraced vineyards, Priorat is a Catalan wine-producing region that was virtually abandoned until the early 1990s. This Spanish wine's renaissance came with the arrival of one man, René Barbier, who recognized the region’s forgotten potential. He banded with five friends to create five “Clos” in the village of Gratallops. Their aim was to revive some of Priorat’s ancient Carignan vines, as well as plant new—mainly French—varieties. These winemakers were technically skilled, well-trained and locally inspired; not surprisingly their results were a far cry from the few rustic and overly fermented wines already produced.
This movement escalated Priorat’s popularity for a few reasons. Its new wines were modern and made with well-recognized varieties, namely old Carignan and Grenache blended with Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When the demand arrived, scarcity commanded higher prices and as the region discovered its new acclaim, investors came running from near and far. Within ten years, the area under vine practically doubled.
Priorat’s steep slopes of licorella (brown and black slate) and quartzite soils, protection from the cold winds of the Siera de Monstant and a lack of water, leading to incredibly low vine yields, all work together to make the region’s wines unique. While similar blends could and are produced elsewhere, the mineral essence and unprecedented concentration of a Priorat wine is unmistakable.