Let's talk little, let's talk wine
This Crianza was born in the Alto Najerilla, in Rioja Alta, around the villages of Badarán and Cárdenas. The old Tempranillo and Garnacha vines, aged from thirty-five to fifty years, are grown at an average altitude of 600 metres on clay-limestone and ferrous soils. The Atlantic-influenced climate, with its long, mild autumns, ensures slow ripening, a guarantee of finesse and harmony. Tempranillo brings structure and elegance, while Garnacha wraps it in a generous fruity expression.
The grapes are hand-picked around mid-October, after meticulous monitoring of ripeness, then fully destemmed. The alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 25 to 28 °C for about ten days, to best extract the character of the grape varieties and the terroir. The wine is then aged for twelve months in American oak barrels in the bodega's underground cellars, at constant temperature and humidity, where it naturally completes its malolactic fermentation.
This wine reveals notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, wild strawberry, black cherry, stewed red fruit, vanilla, coconut, liquorice and cocoa. The soft, enveloping nose evokes a compote of forest fruits enhanced by oak. The palate opens with a fruity, intense and juicy attack, then shows itself silky and balanced, the fruit blending with the subtle nuances of ageing. The finish is warm, long and persistent.
Where are we traveling?
Rioja
Rioja is today Spain's most famous wine region. Its northernmost vineyards lie in the neighbouring regions of Navarre and the Basque Country. The region is defined by two geographical features: the Ebro river and the Cantabrian mountain ranges. These mountains, which run along the north and west of Rioja, shelter it from the cold, damp influences of the Atlantic Ocean, giving it a warmer and drier climate than the north. Rioja can be divided into 3 zones: → Rioja Alta is the western part of Rioja. As its name suggests, its vineyards sit at higher altitudes. The soils contain more clay, iron and alluvial material and less limestone than those of neighbouring Alavesa. Its wines tend to be regarded as elegant, with balanced acidity. → Rioja Alavesa is made up of two distinct enclaves of land adjoining Rioja Alta. Although both lie within the Rioja zone, they are not part of La Rioja but of the Basque province of Álava. The vineyards sit at altitudes similar to those of Rioja Alta, and the macroclimate is similar. The soils tend to be richer in limestone than in Rioja Alta, and the wines can show higher acidity. → Rioja Oriental (formerly Rioja Baja) is the eastern part of the Rioja zone. Its climate is far more strongly influenced by the Mediterranean. Drier and warmer than the other two areas, it gives Garnacha a greater role. Its wines can be noticeably fuller-bodied than those of the other sub-regions. Most of the area lies south of the Ebro, in the region of La Rioja. In the eastern zone, however, the Rioja vineyards north of the river actually lie within the political boundaries of Navarre.
The little history of the country
Spain
The history of wine in Spain is so ancient that no one really knows who first brought the vines to the region. By the time the Phoenicians arrived some 3,000 years ago and founded the present-day cities of Cádiz and Jerez, viticulture was already well established, and Spanish wines were widely traded throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa. You could say that Spain is a winemaking miracle. After years on the sidelines of the world of fine wines, it is now a major player. Investment and ambition in vineyards and wineries are resulting in increasingly rich, complex (often high in alcohol), and spicy reds that are gaining popularity with international consumers. Proud to have more land dedicated to vines than any other country, Spain is only now beginning to capitalize on this resource in a consistent way. Spain is a chaotic jumble of regions and subregions, much like its landscape is a chaotic jumble of incredibly rugged scenery. A glance at a map reveals the climatic diversity among Spain's many wine regions, from the lush, green vineyards of Galicia on the northern Atlantic coast to the parched vineyards of the southeastern Mediterranean. Spain's saving grace for viticulture is the average altitude of its vineyards, which is over 600 meters. Many Spanish vineyards are thus able to produce grapes with good color and acidity simply because nighttime temperatures are relatively low and the grapes don't ripen until after a sufficiently long growing season. But there is a real treasure trove to be found for those willing to dig, and now that a class of connoisseurs has developed in Spain, all sorts of ambitious investors have done their part to change the image of Spanish wine. Today, a new generation of winemakers has quietly begun to craft spectacular wines and experiment with grape varieties that would have been unthinkable not so long ago. Wine remains an important commodity and an integral part of Spanish culture.