Tarima Hill

There are some people who seem to have a special gift for finding suitable parcels and surrounding themselves with great professionals for the explicit purpose of making good wines. We have mentioned this to you before on many occasions, that Jorge Ordóñez is one of them. But the point is, besides, this man and his teams are capable of ensuring that their delicious wines reach the general public at very affordable prices. In Alicante, we come across two of the clearest examples: a very complete red wine for less than 5 Euros, the “younger sibling” Tarima Monastrell, and the elegant, powerful, complex, serious and absolutely lovely Tarima Hill, at about 10 Euros: make sure you try it.

Tarima Hill is made exclusively from Monastrell grapes; an indigenous grape able to endure and adapt to extreme climatic conditions, as well as a lack of rainfall, which is what occurs in the Alicante region. These vineyards range between 40 and 75 years old, planted with bush vines on calcareous soils and producing very low yields. Certain characteristics which, thanks to the fine work of Bodegas Volver, result in a fresh and very well-balanced wine.

In the glass it exhibits a most attractive Picota cherry colour, of medium-high density. This vividness and the tears that slowly run down and tinge the glass, apart from the label that makes us aware of 15% alcohol, leads us to believe that the wine will be really powerful. Indeed it is powerful, but elegant too. Have no fear, that density is immediately contrasted (and balanced) by a wonderful freshness on the nose and a rich tapestry of aromas: ripe and rich fruit (cranberries, blackberries), notes of sweet spices, mild smoky hints, earthy notes and a mineral background that gains prominence as the wine begins to open up in the glass (we recommend opening the bottle an hour before drinking and letting it sit in the glass for a few moments first). It has a seductive nose.

On the palate, Tarima Hill comes over as full-bodied, powerful and juicy, with some marked but polished tannins that uphold its good structure and bode well for a good evolution. To finish things off, the aftertaste reveals the smooth bitterness of dark chocolate; serious and elegant.