The D.O. Alicante is not as well-known as it deserves to be. It’s home to Monastrell, the native grape variety that’s the basis of Mira Salinas 2017, a wine with aromas of red berries and ripe black fruit and balsamic undertones. It’s fresh and fruity on the palate with mineral notes and a touch of nicely integrated wood (from 5 months’ ageing in French oak).
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Monastrell
Type of barrel
225- and 500-litre medium-toast French oak barrels
Type of bottle
Truncated cone
Barrel aging time
5 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
15
General Information
Mira Salinas 2017 is a Monastrell grown on gobelet-trained vines more than 40 years old. The grapes were cultivated in the highest areas, at 680 metres above sea level, near the Sierra de Salinas in poor pebbly lime soils. They were picked by hand and thoroughly selected both in the vineyard and again on sorting tables in the winery.
The winery employs a gravity-flow system with vats on different levels and underground cellars for different ageing periods. Malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel vats and new French oak barrels at a controlled temperature followed by 5 months in medium-toast French oak barrels. After blending, the resulting wine was further matured in the bottle for 12 months.
Of the wineries that have emerged in recent years, Bodegas Sierra is among those that have contributed the most to the D.O. Alicante’s acknowledged rise in quality. The Castaño family (Bodegas Castaño) started up Sierra Salinas in 2006 after five years’ work, purchasing vineyards in the foothills of the Sierra de Salinas – after which the firm is named – and building innovative facilities. In 2017 Bodegas Sierra Salinas was acquired by the MGWine group (who also own Bodegas Estefanía in the D.O. Bierzo and Bodegas Lavia in the D.O. Bullas, among others).
Bodega Sierra Salinas is based in an exceptional situation adjacent to Murcia, on an estate where the vines are cultivated according to organic practices and grow alongside almond and olive trees on slopes at an altitude of nearly 700 metres. The facilities, equipped with technology and a gravity-flow system, are located beside the vineyards. The grapes are treated with loving care and utmost respect to extract all their properties. The firm only uses French oak barrels, which are kept in an underground cellar where its wines are aged under optimum conditions.
Creators' opinion
2017 was a year of drought and harvesting took place slightly earlier. Optimum ripeness with very fresh and fruity wines that are slightly less concentrated than previous vintages but very well balanced.
The winery
Bodegas Sierra Salinas is one of the projects that have emerged in recent years and has most contributed to the qualitative growth now recognized in the D.O. Alicante. The journey of Sierra Salinas began in 2006, led by the Castaño family (Bodegas Castaño), after five years of work, the purchase of vineyards on the slopes of the Sierra de Salinas - which gives the winery its name - and the construction of an innovative winery. In 2013, Bodegas Sierra Salinas was acquired by the MGWines group (also the owner of Bodegas Estefanía in the D.O. Bierzo and Bodegas Lavia in the D.O. Bullas, among others).
The Sierra Salinas winery is located in an exceptional setting, bordering Murcia; on an estate where the vineyards are cultivated following organic viticulture principles and coexist with almond trees, olive trees, and hillsides at almost 700 meters above sea level. It comprises 51 hectares of vineyards, mostly monastrell (the queen grape of southeastern Spain), from old vines with limited yields that grow on limestone soils. Additionally, the winery cultivates cabernet sauvignon, alicante bouschet, and petit verdot varieties.
Next to the vineyard, there is a technological winery where all processes are carried out using gravity. A carefully crafted and highly respectful production process allows the grape to express itself to the fullest. For aging, the winery exclusively uses French oak barrels, which rest in an underground cellar where the wines mature under optimal natural conditions.
The Sierra Salinas winery is located in an exceptional setting, bordering Murcia; on an estate where the vineyards are cultivated following organic viticulture principles and coexist with almond trees, olive trees, and hillsides at almost 700 meters above sea level. It comprises 51 hectares of vineyards, mostly monastrell (the queen grape of southeastern Spain), from old vines with limited yields that grow on limestone soils. Additionally, the winery cultivates cabernet sauvignon, alicante bouschet, and petit verdot varieties.
Next to the vineyard, there is a technological winery where all processes are carried out using gravity. A carefully crafted and highly respectful production process allows the grape to express itself to the fullest. For aging, the winery exclusively uses French oak barrels, which rest in an underground cellar where the wines mature under optimal natural conditions.