Celler de Capcanes Costers del Gravet 2001
Winemaker Notes
"...Satisfyingly mouthfilling wine, finishing with very good length and substantial ripe tannins..."
International Wine Cellar
Nowadays, Capcanes has 250 hectares of vineyards of which about half is devoted to Garnacha; Carinena accounts for 20%, and the balance is made up of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The vineyards range in altitude from 150 meters at the bottom of the valley to nearly 550 meters fro the highest terraces where the oldest Garnacha vines grow. Soil in the lower vineyards is deep and rich and fertile, while the higher vineyards are on minerally soil on top of a granite or slate base.
The difference in altitude, terroir, and the wide varieties of grapes means that harvesting the fruit can last a full two months. Each vineyard is harvested separately at its precise moment of optimum ripeness and each parcel is vinified separately, as well.
Viticulture
At Capcanes, the altitude ranges from 300 meters to 700 meters, and natural rainfalls is low at around 450 mm. The average temperature in this Mediterranean region is around 15 C and rises to 35 C in the summer. Soil in the lower vineyards is deep, rich and fertile; the higher vineyards and all the terraces are on poor, mineral , stony soils with a granite or slate base. Under the guidance of the two winemakers, Angel Teixado and Antoni Alcover, owner/winemaker of Fra Fulco. Capcanes has progressed to a level of serious quality among Spanish reds, and offers tremendous value.
Vinification
New cellars were built to accommodate new temperature controlled stainless fermentation tanks and 600 new oak barrels, of which about 30% are French. Along with the introduction of a new bottling line, the packaging has been updated, reflecting the new breed of wine produced at Capcanes.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.