Knowledge. Effort. Passion. This is the philosophy of José Antonio Martínez. A philosophy that he imparts to his two sons Alberto and Ikar. Perfectionist. This is how I would describe
José’s attention to detail. In 1994, José began by selecting the best vineyards he could find. Then he focused on having the perfect bodega. He had one specially designed to his specifications, where he could produce excellent wine.
Altún is located in Baños de Ebro, in the Alavesa region. There are three regions in Rioja: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja. The Alavesa region’s high altitude and calcareous soil type typically produce wines that have a fuller body and a higher acidity. This kind of wine has longevity and can age well.
Altún combines traditional and modern methods when producing their wines. The grapes are harvested manually and then sorted by hand on a table where only the most premium fruit is selected for the winemaking process. Once the grapes have been selected, they are placed large vats where the first fermentation process takes place.
The grapes are put in a traditional vertical press. This type of press extracts the juice from the grape slowly and imparts tannins from the seeds into the wine. The wine is transferred to French oak Barrels or stainless steel tanks, depending on the type of wine that Altún is producing. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation, which is a process where malic acids are changed into lactic acids, giving the wines a soft, round and enjoyable mouthfeel.
The various wines are then aged appropriately, in a controlled environment, where particular attention is paid to the humidity, lighting and temperature. The result is a gorgeous Rioja produced with knowledge, effort, and passion from Altún.
