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Pares Balta, "Mas Elena", organic wine, red, Penedes DO

enlarge Pares Balta, "Mas Elenat", organic wine, red, Penedes DO 2009/10 Intensive red colour with blue hints. On the nose aromas of red fruit with liquorice and spices. Elegant and fresh in the mouth. Good structure. Well integrated with the toast of the barrel. Long and pleasant finish. Alcohol 14 %. Serving temperature: 16 - 18° C. Winemaking The vinification is in the hands of Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas, both of whom are enologists and the wives of Joan and Josep. These are two gifted young women whose talent is reflected in the quality of the Parés Baltà wines, which demonstrates not only character and concentration, but elegance and balance as well. Maceration and fermentation of the three varieties takes place during 18 to 31 days at a temperature of 25° C, depending of the grape variety and their quality. Also for the malolactic fermentation, only indigenous bacteria are used . After that, the young wines ripen in French oak barrels from Allier. Parés Baltà Parés Baltà, also called Masía Can Baltà, was established more than 200 years ago (1790) when several vines were planted around the present vineyard in the Pacs del Penedés community. Since this time, it has always been owned by the same family. The progress in wine growing was interrupted, when in the mid-19th century, the grape phylloxera pest almost brought viticulture in Catalonia to a standstill. Those vines which had fallen prey to the grape phylloxera were not replaced until it was determined that American vines were not affected by the grape phylloxera. From that time on European varietals were grafted onto American roots, and this revived European viticulture. In 1932, shortly before the outbreak of the spanish civil war, Joan Cusine – Hill who already worked in the vines as a boy at the age of 7, took over the winery. Today, more than 8 decades later (wine keeps you young and healthy), he is still taking care of the vineyards. Since then, each generation has been able to make a successful contribution to increasing the size of the estate to more than 170 hectares by purchasing several surrounding wineries. During the era of growth, Parés Baltà was handed down from each of the fathers to his sons, who continued operating the business, developing and implementing new ideas. It was not until his son Joan Cusiné Cusiné took over the management of the operation in the 80s that the manner of marketing the wine changed. It was no longer sold by the barrel or the tank, the first white wine, "Blanc de Pacs," which is still being produced today, was bottled by Parés Baltà. Up to then, only white wine grapes had been cultivated at Parés Baltà. At the end of the 80s, the first red wine was presented. From that time on, Joan Cusiné Cusiné was significantly involved in improving the quality of the wine. There has always been a respect for nature on this winery with its long history, although this has not meant foregoing new discoveries in research and technology as long as there is no intervention in the natural cycles of nature. At the moment, there are three generations working togather at Parés Baltà, the grandfather Joan Cusiné (born in 1917) along with his son Joan Cusiné Cusiné and the grandsons Joan and Josep Cusiné Carol, who are in charge of the winery. Their wives, Maria Elena Jimenez and Marta Casas, are trained enologists who are in charge of the winemaking. They owe their success, substantianted by numerous awards, to their knowledge and also to the realization that good wines can only be made from healthy grapes. These are solely from their own vineyards, which extend to the highest locations in the Penedes. Today, Parés Baltà provides a range of high quality wines and cavas which have an excellent reputation nationally and internationally. It is no wonder, since here authenticity and purity of the wines are defined as quality, the aroma and the taste of the wine as well as its character tell a story of the grapes from which it originated, of the soil in which the vines grew, of the region's climate and microclimate, of the weather of the vintage concerned and of the winegrowers and their concepts of quality. It is the different vineyard soils with their varying microclimatic conditions which also help to determine the characteristics of the organic wines, which are fermented with the (endogenous) yeasts on the grapes and not with selected yeasts or flavored yeasts. The vineyards on Parés Baltà have always been farmed biologically. In 2004, they were certified as an "organic farm" in accordance with EU Norm EN2091/91. Instead of using artificial fertilizers, they have a herd of sheep which is driven through the vineyard after the grapes have been harvested, and the sheep fertilize the vines. For the pollination of the vine blossoms in the spring, Parés Baltà keeps bees which at the same time bring the Mediterranean influence of the local herbs to the vineyard. The Mediterranean is only 10 km from the vineyards and has a positive influence on the vegetation. Organic Farming The vineyards on Parés Baltà are cultivated without the use of herbicides, pesticides or artificial fertilizers. They use the so-called Bordeaux mixture (water, lime and a bit of copper sulphate) to combat downy mildew, a sulphur solution to combat powdery mildew (oidium) and the "bacillus thuringiensis" against herbivorous insects. Aerating the vines by working on their foliage (removing superfluous shoots and leaves) decreases the development of fungal diseases. To improve the quality, the vines are pruned in the winter to decrease the yield, and there is also a "green harvest," which involves removing the tiny, immature grapes from the vine about 4 to 6 weeks before the actual harvest. This enables the remaining grapes to develop a higher concentration of aromas. The amount of grapes removed during this procedure always depends on the vintage. For the "Hisenda Miret" organic wine, on an average half of the grapes are removed. Unlike many other winegrowers in the region, Parés Baltà does not do any artificial irrigation of its vineyards. This is possible because the vines are not treated with any artificial fertilizers and thus are deeply rooted in the soil, from which they not only obtain the necessary water but also find and take in all the minerals contained in the soil. The inspection authorities in charge of certifying and implementing organic farming are called CCPAE (Consell Català de la Producció Agrària Ecológica) www.ccpae.org, and they are directly responsible to the Ministry of Agriculture in Catalonia. These authorities carry out the inspection and make sure that the regulations of the EU Norm 2092/91 for organic farming are implemented. This norm also prohibits the use of chemical and synthetic products. Some of the Parés Baltà vineyards are located on narrow terraces, some of which are several hundred years old, and whose cultivation was abandoned by the previous owners, presumably for financial reasons. Parés Baltà has been able to gradually recultivate this land and to plant grape varieties which are unusual in Penedes. These wine terraces, which are in remote locations, are surrounded by pine forests which are the habitat of rabbits, foxes, wild boars and a pair of Bonelli's eagles, an endangered species. The wild boars have proven to be quite the gourmets, since they are only interested in the grapes when these are really ripe and sweet. Thus it is the wild boars who show the winegrowers when it is time to start harvesting the grapes. The Vineyards of Parés Baltà and Their Microclimate The microclimate of the various vineyards is determined by their geographical location, the proximity to the Mediterranean or to a river, the altitude, amount of precipitation and the number of hours of sunshine. This is why it is very important to select and plant the correct grape variety in each location. Each type of grape requires the ideal conditions in order to thrive perfectly and to develop its character completely. In the vineyards which are situated on higher grounds, due to thermal winds the temperature is on average 3 to 4 degrees less than it is in those vineyards below them, which means that the grapes in these elevated locations take 4 to 6 weeks longer to ripen. The locations of the vineyards on the Parés Baltà are just as diverse as the 18 varieties of grapes planted on them. Particular importance is attached to the Mediterranean and autochthonous varietals such as Garnatxa, Xarel.lo, Macabeo and Parellada which of course are to be found in the vineyards with higher average temperatures. It is here that the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Muscat and the Petit Verdot as well are also cultivated. In the higher locations which have lower average temperatures and larger differences in temperature between day and night, the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Mencía, Tempranillo and Merlot grapes thrive. Delivery within 4 days From 18 Bottles: € 12,35 (1,98 % Discount) Item Nr. 2062 EAN 8410439011027 1,00 l entspricht € 16,80 Hersteller Pares Balta Price € 12,60 plus shipping VAT incl. Number   X

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