THE HARVEST
Grapes sourced from old vines, 50 year-old averge age vineyards located in the highest ground of Rioja Alavesa in the foothills of Sierra Cantabria around Laguardia, Elvillar and Kripan. This is the heartland and best “terroir” of Rioja Alavesa.
The grapes Tempranillo 90% , Graciano 10% , are picked by hand and put in boxes with a first, vineyard selection that involves discarding there those that don’t meet the mark.
VINIFICATION
The fruit is manually selected upon entering the winery, where grapes not suitable for this wine are discarded. After destemming, the grapes are stored in small 2,000 litre tanks and undergo a cold maceration at 8 ºC for four days. Alcoholic fermentation is induced with selected yeasts and performed with exhaustive temperature controls. Three times per day, the pigeage is conducted manually in order to submerge the cap. Once the fermentation is completed, the wine is macerated until the winemaker determines the appropriate extraction of polyphenols. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in French oak 85% and American oak 15% in new barrels from the best coopers. During fermentation, the lees are stirred to keep them in contact with the wine.
THE AGEING
It takes place in the same barrels for 15 months, with the wine racked every 6 months.
TASTING NOTES
Colour: Clean and brilliant, intense cherry red colour with a garnet rim.
Nose: Complex and powerful with ripe fruit very well integrated with oak and mineral nuances.
Palate: Very powerful toasty notes (cocoa and coffee) of high quality wood, perfectly blended with ripe fruit.
Food matches: Recommended for red meats, game and ripe cheeses.
