This unoaked white is fermented at low temperature in small stainless steel tanks to keep all of it’s fresh fruit qualities. It is a rich opulent white full of tropical fruits with hints of dried grass and herbs. Quite full bodied, serve chilled as an aperitive.

White Grenache, perhaps the most underrated white grape in Spain, can be found throughout the peninsula, however it calls Terra Alta home. Here White Grenache represents the overwhelming majority of white grapes produced. Macabeo can be found in notable quantities and well as some recently planted noble white vines. As such, Terra Alta has been consistently well regarded for its whites. Modernization of facilities has allowed Terra Alta wines to begin to receive international acclaim.

But Priorato's success over the last decade has not just been felt in the soaring price of its wines - it has rubbed off onto surrounding regions. The hitherto subdued appellation of Terra Alta is one such Priorato satellite now quietly coming into its own. Producer Xavier Clua describes DO Terra Alta as, "an entirely unknown quantity in the world of wine," and talks of, "carving out a niche in the quality market." His plan is a bold one; his wines such as the white Vindemia and red Mil.lenium are well made, exuberant and full of character.

"We aren't trying to be fashionable or anything," says Xavier, "we just want our wines to be appreciated for their intrinsic quality." His voice turns strident, "globalisation leads to generalisation; generalisation means impersonality, which deprives wine lovers of the singular, the different, the unique - everything that makes wine great. Life is not easy for [small] producers but the stimulus is always positive."

-- Published in Decanter Magazine January 2003

Varietals:
60% Garnatxa Blanca (White Grenache)
20% Chardonnay
15% Sauvignon Blanc
5% Muscat
*20-30 year old vines

Alcohol vol: 13.5%
Serve at: 8-10° C
Production: 5500 bottles
        458 US Cases

Vinyes i Cellers Clua

Find out more about Denominació d'origen Terra Alta.