Almaroja, 'Pirita'

Charlotte Allen, owner and winemaker of Almaroja, farms the grapes for her wines in Arribes del Duero, the only denominación de origen in Spain that is entirely within a national park.

The grapes for Pirita undergo a pre-fermentation maceration of between 4-5 days in a blend of temperature controlled stainless steel and concrete tanks, followed by a fermentation of four weeks with daily pumping over.  Pirita then spends 11-18 months in 300 liter French oak barrels, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation before being bottled without filtration or stabilization, but some clarification.

Pirita [pee-REE-tah] comes from the Spanish word for pyrite, also known as 'Fool's Gold' for its similarity to gold. 

Learn more about Bodega Almaroja here.