La Mata (Torrevella) - Baix Segura
The La Mata Natural Park, located in the extreme south of the province of Alicante, together with the El Hondo and Santa Pola salt flats, forms a wetland area that is unique in terms of biodiversity, as well as being the main salt production site in the Mediterranean. It was in this sandy soil that the Sopla Levante project was born in 2020, the brainchild of four cool and young men, Pepe Rodríguez de Vera, Hilarión Pedauyé, Álvaro Ruiz and Alberto Soriano. Four fathers who share the same idea of viticulture, with the preservation of endangered varieties, a conscious management of the vineyards and a proposal of singular wines.
In total, there are fifteen hectares of vineyards spread between Alicante and Valencia with white and red grape varieties endemic to this part of the Iberian Peninsula: Merseguera, Muscat of Alexandria, Valencí Negrerignan, Monestrell, Bobal, Parrell, Forcallat, Esclafagerre and other rarer ones. Six expressive vintages, in white, orange, rosé and red, for a total of 15,000 bottles whose shape is reminiscent of the Fondillon alacanti. A beautiful project.
Pinomar
Orange dry white wine Merseguera 95%, Muscat of Alexandria 5%
Alcohol content: 13,5% Vol.
In the sandy soil of the La Mata Natural Park, located at sea level close to Alicante, the Merseguera and Muscat of Alexandria vines are grown as free-standing vines, a process made possible because phylloxera does not thrive in the sand. The 2.5 hectare vineyard is about sixty years old, pruned in short goblet (with one bud), and has a yield of 3000 kilos per hectare. It is the friend Hilarion who takes care of the vines of La Mata.
The harvest: by hand in the middle of August.
The winemaking: this is Pepe Rodríguez de Vera's skill, after a three-week maceration with the skins, the wine is aged for eight months in earthenware jars for a total of 2500 bottles.
The wine maker's notes: a festival of flavours, flower and fruit, tannins, acidity, nothing is missing.
Recommended consumption temperature: between 6 and 9°C
Consume from now.