Bodegas 9c+Ernesto de Miguel
Ernesto de Miguel makes wine in Chulilla (Los Serranos, Valencia) from his estate Partida el Lentiscar. A single hectare of Merlot at 420 metres altitude, farmed biodynamically and naturally. Purita —a name that pays tribute to a family figure— is his only wine: cherry-coloured, fresh and succulent, without artifice. ~1,200–1,500 bottles a year, artisan distribution in natural wine circuits.
Finca Partida el Lentiscar, in Chulilla (Los Serranos, Valencia): 1 ha of Merlot at 420 metres altitude. Limestone terrain with Mediterranean influence and the continentality of the mountain range. Biodynamic and natural viticulture, no synthetic products.
- Biodynamic and natural farming; no synthetic products or herbicides
- Hand harvest in small crates; grape selection in the vineyard
- Fermentation in stainless steel with native yeasts; no additives or corrections
- Unfiltered and unfined; minimal or no sulphites
- Purita — Red Wine, 100% Merlot · Los Serranos · 14% vol · ~1,200–1,500 bottles/year
Los Serranos is an inland region of the Valencian Community, on the upper course of the Turia, dominated by limestone cliffs and pine forests. Chulilla, at the bottom of a spectacular gorge, combines the Mediterranean breeze and the coolness of the mountains. Ernesto makes wine in one of the least visited places in Valencian viticulture — with biodynamic Merlot at 420 m, where cool nights preserve the wine's acidity and freshness.
The collection at Terroir Radical
Purita
Biodynamic Merlot from the Partida el Lentiscar estate, in Chulilla (Los Serranos, Valencia), at 420 metres altitude. Hand harvest in small crates. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in stainless-steel tanks. Unfiltered, unfined, minimal or no sulphites. The label carries the face of a woman and a ladybird — a tribute in every bottle.
Clean cherry colour. Nose of fresh strawberry, small cherries, violets, thyme and a light touch of liquorice. Fresh, succulent, lively palate with a fruity, persistent finish. 100% Merlot from Los Serranos, where the 420 metres of altitude and cool nights bring the energy and acidity we expect from a mountain Merlot.
Editorial note
We came across Purita at the Natural Wine Fair in Pego. A Merlot that doesn't do what you would expect from a Merlot: it isn't fat, isn't jammy, isn't heavy. Chulilla, Los Serranos, 420 metres, cool nights. The territory rules. Ernesto makes it alone, on a small scale, distributing around his area in natural wine circuits.
And Purita carries on its label the face of a woman and a ladybird. A little bit of life in every bottle.
— Terroir Radical