Enrique Mendoza Las Quebradas

Las Quebradas bottle image

Wine Description

When the ground was "broken" (or "quebrada" in Spanish) at the Las Quebradas vineyard, this 100% Monastrell was born. Fermented in open-top wooden tanks and aged in 500 L Allier oak barrels for 18 months followed by two years of refinement in the bottle.

accordion plus icons
Acclaim
“Only in its second vintage, the single vineyard 2011 Las Quebradas is pure Monastrell from a chalk-rich, stony vineyard with very poor soils planted with 1,500 vines per hectare that are dry farmed and head pruned. The grapes were fermented in small lots in square vats with indigenous yeasts and a gentle hand treading. The wine matured for 15 months in French oak barrel and it shows more finesse and poise than the Estrecho, though still marked by the élevage with aromas of toasted sesame seeds and smoke with the tree bark-like aromas taking a surprising herbal tone (fennel, aniseed?) in a way that made me think of a left bank Bordeaux. This feels quite different from the initial 2010 that was all finesse and elegance. In this vintage it is getting closer to Estrecho, though perhaps a little more subtle, combining power with rusticity and elegance. In any case, this is a great expression of Monastrell. It will surely grow in bottle, as it also grows in the glass.”
— Wine Advocate, Feb 2015
“Restrained and delicate with a peppery, herbal note, adding complexity. It opens up on the palate to soft tannins and a suave expression. Seems like a Monastrell from highlands; long and subtle.”
— Decanter, Mar 2016
View more acclaim Arrow Right
accordion plus icons
Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Las Quebradas
Vineyard size
24 acres
Soil composition
Stony
Elevation:
1,968 feet
Vines/acre:
2,750
Yield/acre:
440 tons
Exposure:
Northern / Southern
Year vineyard planted:
1940
Harvest time:
October
First vintage of this wine:
2010
Bottles produced of this wine:
3,000
accordion plus icons
Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
15
Varietal composition:
100% Monastrell
Fermentation container:
Open Barrels
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
7 days
Fermentation temperature:
82 °F
Maceration technique:
Manual battonage
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Barrels
Size of aging container:
500 L
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
15 months
Age of Aging Container:
New
Length of bottle aging:
2 years
accordion plus icons
Analytical Data
pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
6 g/L
Alcohol:
14 %
Dry extract:
29 g/L
Residual sugar:
< 0,65 g/L