“Memories of childhood, games amongst the vines, I still smell the start of Autumn, aromas of vine that drifted through the narrow streets of the village. The legacy of a grandfather, somebody so important in my life, other ancestors too, that have passed on the pride of the land where I was born. Herncia Alts is an homage to my roots and as such the grapes come exclusively from the vineyards of Benefut, El Mas vell i Almudefer, which belongs to my parents.” – Nria Alts.

Nria Alts is a native of Batea, Terra Alta, and her family have been growers for generations. A proud Catalan, Nria is deeply immersed in the history of the region and will gladly recount the stories of her beloved land over a glass of Garnatxa Negra. She worked in local wineries before forming a partnership with her English husband, Rafael De Haan, to start Herncia Alts, a project proudly carrying her family`s name in tribute to their work in the vineyards of Terra Alta over many generations.

Grenache – or the locally styled Garnatxa – is the calling card of this up-and-coming quality wine region, and the team at Herncia Alts is working tirelessly to put both their beloved region and its flagship grape variety on the world map. The estate combines carefully maintained old vine Garnatxa vineyards and a state-of-the-art winery, every inch of which is designed to lower its impact on the environment, relying almost entirely on solar power and recycling rainfall for use throughout the facility. All of the vineyards are farmed according to organic practices, with all of their cuvees now certified organic. One of Nria`s favourite wines she makes is La Serra Negre, as it pays homage to her grandfather, someone who was very special in her life. Like the 100 year old vines the wine is made from, his life spanned many events and decades and his stories never failed to make her smile.

At Herncia Alts, they enjoy experimentation with new styles and expressions. As well as their fantastic white and red Garnatxas, their range includes two orange wines. Llunari, a delicate light orange Garnatxa Blanca which spends 20 days in contact with the skins, and Trementinaire, which refers to `the wise women of the mountain, the healers, the witches`, made from old vines Garnatxa Blanca which spends four weeks skin contact.

Vinification

A white wine produced like a red one. Manual harvest in boxes of 18 kg. Once in the cellar, the grapes are destemmed and crushed and racked to a concrete tank to cool the must with the skins at 5 – 8C until the start of alcoholic fermentation. The must/wine spends a total of 20 days in contact with the skins before pressing and transferring the wine to 3 amphorae of 600 L, where the wine will rest for 5 months.

Tasting Notes

Llunari is a crisp wine, with an intense golden colour and orange reflections. Great aromatic intensity, with hints of quince and orange peel zest. Fennel and almond finish. In the mouth it has a fresh entrance and an enveloping texture. Long aftertaste reminiscent of raw almonds.

It goes very well with traditional pickled dishes, such as sardines or chicken. Also ideal with sea nettles in batter or with a sea bass ceviche.