The Orto Vins project might at first sight seem unfamiliar, but it wouldn't pass unnoticed at all by those who recognise the name of Joan Asens, the oenologist who for years worked side by side with Álvaro Palacios, producing some of the best vintages of L'Ermita, among others of his splendid Priorat wines.
Joan Asens is the project's most conspicuous face but not its only member. Orto Vins unites the talents and skills of four partners, childhood friends and acquaintances: the brothers Jordi and Josep M. Beltran, Josep M. Jové and Joan Asens. The four have inherited the wine-making tradition from their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, their appreciation for the countryside, and over the years, for some vineyards of great worth and singularity as well. This was precisely the reason why they got together and began jointly to produce wines of the highest quality: a range of four truly original wines which reflect the identity of four of their best vineyards, four wines labelled under the name of Singularitats ('Singularities'), and the Orto range, a more accessible and affordable line of white, red and sweet wines that offer excellent value for money. Les Comes d'Orto is the superior and most select wine of this introductory range.
Les Comes d'Orto derives its name from the countryside which comes through in its aromas; it combines the character of three estates, three comes, the term given by local farmers to lands that have plenty of undulations and unevenness, small valleys in effect: the Coma Nicolau (north-facing), the Coma Roquera (west-facing), and the Coma Gigolà (south-facing), mainly having calcareous soils and old vines, with ages ranging between 20 and 90 years old. With this diversity and a coupage of three varieties: Garnacha (50%), Cariñena (45%) and Ull de Llebre (5%), as the Tempranillo is called here, just as you might expect, this wine doesn't lack complexity; it's also very balanced, fruit-forward, mature and slightly spicy.
Les Comes d'Orto needs no detailed description, it simply aims to please and offer a lovely 'snapshot' of these Masroig lands in our glasses. It's a classic, honest to goodness Montsant, made by expert hands, adorned too with an attractive label.
