Aristan is a five acre vineyard that lies next to the winery. This vineyard is owned by Master Sommelier Emmanuel Kemiji (proprietor of Miura Vineyards in California & Managing Director of Clos Pissarra) and named after his two sons, Aristos and Tristan. Made up entirely of 12-year old Grenache (Garnatxa in Catalan) and Syrah vines on soil that is a mixture of clay and slate. The yields are cut back to a miserly 1 1/4 tons to the acre.
2015 was a successful vintage in Montsant, warm but not too hot and without dreaded heat spikes that sometimes affect the region at harvest. The wine was aged for 12 months in 500 liter Taransaud French oak pungeons and then bottled unfiltered. Garnatxa brings wonderful aromatics and bright red fruit to the wine, while the Syrah adds a full, luscious character with some rustic earth tones to the mixture. On the palate it comes across as very polished, refined but with an earthy, terroir driven character.