Alta Alella 10: A Cava with the Soul of a Great Wine
Alta Alella 10 is a cava with the ‘soul of a great wine’, possessing a unique personality that stands out for its remarkable freshness, while maintaining elegance and complexity. This freshness endures even after 10 years of aging, a testament to patience and dedication. According to Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets, founder of Alta Alella, this is the result of several factors: long aging, the grape’s intrinsic characteristics, the Sauló soil where the vines grow, and the distinctive climate of the Serra de Mar area.
A Vision Beyond Standardization
Mireia Pujol-Busquets, representing the second generation of the winery, explains that the goal is to ‘break away from standardization and set trends by aligning with the world’s great wines, rather than following conventional cava-making traditions’. This philosophy led to the creation of Alta Alella 10—a vintage, organic, collector’s cava that highlights the significance of time’s influence in crafting exceptional wines. The family believes that long aging ‘strips a wine bare, defines a territory, and captures a specific moment in time’.
The Winemaking Process: Precision and Patience
Alta Alella 10 is crafted from a selection of the finest grapes from the Vallcirera estate (classified as a Qualified Site by the Cava DO). These grapes are hand-harvested in small crates to ensure their pristine quality. Whole grapes undergo gentle pressing, with the first fermentation taking place in French oak barrels. The wine is then produced using the Traditional Method, followed by a minimum of ten years of aging. It is released without expedition liqueur, maintaining its pure character, with the date of disgorgement and aging period clearly stated on the label.
The Uniqueness of ‘Serra de Mar’
The Serra de Mar region is known for producing cavas with both freshness and exceptional aging potential. The vines thrive in Sauló soil (decomposing granite), which provides excellent drainage and allows rainwater to percolate while encouraging deep root penetration. This unique terroir, combined with a subtle varietal bitterness and the climatic influence of the nearby sea, enables the creation of a Grand Vin-style cava that showcases the elegance of aging over time.
The 2012 Vintage: A Year of Extreme Conditions
The 2012 vintage was marked by a dry growing season, with high temperatures causing rapid ripening. However, mid-September rains helped slow down maturation, resulting in a highly concentrated and exceptionally healthy harvest.
