2017 L'Estel

Terra Alta is clearly capable of producing elegant wines thanks to its sandy, calcareous soils, climate, altitude and expositions. Until recently only a handful of producers have made a serious move to take advantage of the DO’s potential, none have done so more than Núria Altés and Rafael de Haan. They established this 60-hectare estate in 2010 and their progress has been so impressive that today I consider this one of the top estates in Tarragona, up there with the big players in Montsant and Priorat. Their organically farmed vineyards include many vines that are over a century old. Grapes are harvested manually and fully de-stemmed. The winemaking regimen is very much hands-off. Stainless steel, concrete and used, large oak casks are the rule in the cellar. At the entry level, the quality here is astonishing. I’ve often found myself wondering if I’m reading the prices right given what’s in the bottles all the way up the line, both for whites and reds. Personally, I’d love to see what could happen here if some whole clusters were in play but I’m by no means a winemaker, only a curious taster.