the forces
ALTITUDE
The Force
What is Altitude?
Altitude is how high a vineyard sits above sea level. Some vineyards are planted close to the coast, while others climb high into the mountains.
As altitude increases, the environment changes in ways that can have a big impact on how grapes grow.
Its parts
What altitude changes
Height does not act alone. It alters several conditions at once, and they compound.
Cooler air
Temperature falls steadily as the land rises. The same latitude, several hundred metres higher, becomes a different climate entirely.
Day and night swing
Thin mountain air holds heat poorly. Warm days give way to cold nights, and the gap between them widens with height.
Light intensity
Less atmosphere sits between the vineyard and the sun. Light arrives stronger, thickening skins and deepening colour.
A longer clock
Cooler conditions slow ripening, giving flavour more time to build while acidity holds.
Its consequence
Why does it matter?
Higher vineyards are generally cooler than lower ones. The cooler temperatures slow down the ripening of the grapes, giving them more time to develop flavour while holding onto their natural acidity.
Mountain vineyards can also experience greater differences between warm days and cool nights, helping the grapes ripen slowly and evenly.
The range
What does it do to the wine?
Altitude influences the freshness, elegance and intensity of a wine.
Low
Riper, fuller-bodied wines with softer acidity.
Mid
A balance of richness and freshness.
High
Brighter acidity, vibrant fruit flavours and greater elegance.
The same grape variety can taste remarkably different simply because it was grown hundreds of metres higher or lower.
A Force, not a choice
In the world of Aurenloch
Altitude is one of the Forces. It changes the rhythm of the vineyard, slowing nature's clock and giving the grapes more time to develop.
Every metre higher tells a slightly different story.
Did you know?
As a general rule, the temperature drops by about 0.6°C for every 100 metres you climb in altitude. That small change can make the difference between a rich, powerful wine and one that is fresh, elegant and full of energy.