2019 Alberto Orte "Atlántida" Tintilla, Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz, Spain
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ABOUT THIS WINE
Atlántida is the rare dry red wine made in the Sherry zone from the nearly extinct Tintilla grape variety. The soil is pure white chalk called albariza. Starting with the 2022 vintage, Alberto realized that the Tintilla grapes coming from his own El Aljibe estate now surpass the quality of those from the single vineyard in Pago de Balbaína. With the goal to craft a wine with the best expression of this grape variety, Alberto decided to use the fruit from his estate which comes from 3 vineyards called San Cristóbal, San José, and El Aljibe.
Harvest is done by hand at night to obtain utmost freshness. The grapes are fermented in oak vats with 90% whole cluster fermentation and 10% de-stemmed. They endure two daily rackings and two pump-overs during the course of a 28-day maceration. Next, the grapes are pressed, and the juice is passed to 1–2-year-old 500-liter French oak, where it spends one year. Finally, it is transferred to 3–4-year-old 225-liter barrels for 6 months, where it rests before bottling for a total aging time of 18 months.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Alberto Orte is a force to be reckoned with, producing truly compelling and ambitious wines that have firmly established him as one of the most talented up and comers of the next generation of Spanish winemakers. In addition to co-founding Olé & Obrigado, Alberto has also dedicated a huge portion of his life to discovering great terroirs, resurrecting ancient clones and replanting extinct grape varieties that would otherwise be lost to modernity. Alberto produces wine in many regions throughout the Iberian Peninsula, most notably in Jerez, Valdeorras and Rioja.
Alberto believes that low yields, balanced soils, and top-quality raw materials are three fundamental factors to creating terroir-reflective and balanced wines. He produces two types of wines: wines of unique terroirs, which are labeled as Alberto Orte, and wines from village- designated vineyards that are more approachable, which are labeled as Vinos Atlántico.
Born in Madrid to a winemaking family, Alberto Orte always took an interest in Spain, its natural resources, and its wine. As a teenager, Alberto would spend his days picking grapes with his cousins and working at his family’s winery in Montilla Moriles. After studying law at the University of Madrid, Alberto partnered with Patrick Mata at the young age of 24 to create Olé & Obrigado. Shortly thereafter, Alberto pursued a master’s degree in viticulture at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. While Patrick handles the marketing and business aspects of their business in the United States, Alberto keeps his roots in his native Spain, where he selects, vinifies, and produces an array of Spanish wines. Today, Alberto lives with his family in El Puerto de Santa Maria (Cadiz) in Jerez with his wife and six children.
A true farmer at heart, Alberto is fervently passionate about organic farming. He experiments with biodynamic principles in some of his vineyards, which unlike the surrounding land, flourish with worms, cover crops and other forms of life. Alberto’s main contribution to the world of Spanish wine is his revival of nearly extinct local varieties, showing the true potential of grapes like Tintilla and Vijiriega. In Jerez alone, Alberto has identified 200+ old clones and 22 forgotten varieties. Alberto also has a passion for old vines, as these plants tend to produce low yields of concentrated and thought-provoking fruit. When searching for sites to work with, Alberto favors high-altitude and dry-farmed vineyard plots with deep soils.
He uses native yeasts for fermentations and works with a variety of vessels (concrete, foudre, stainless steel and large format used wood) to vinify each of his wines, depending on the needs of the specific variety. While some wines are aged up to 8 years, like La Antigua Clásico Gran Reserva, some see 18 months or less. When working with grapes that are less tannic, Orte likes to work with cement tanks because they provide more structure on the mid palate. He incorporates newer oak with grapes that are more tannic, while favoring older oak barrels or cement for more delicate varietals.