Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.97
* This item is for in store pickup only
Rioja has enjoyed a tremendous run of growth over recent decades but that has come at the price of a significant loss of diversity. In 1973, Tempranillo comprised only 31% of the Rioja vineyards and today that figure is 88%. The Rioja DO zone has over 14,000 winegrowers but 40 large wineries produce 80% of the wine and these wineries have pushed a standardized style of Rioja which has resulted in the abandonment of some high-quality varietals. Maturana Tinta is one of these – a grape which gives wine with great depth of flavor and structure but presents the twin inconveniences of being both low-yielding and late-ripening. Juan Carlos Sancha is a Professor of Enology at the University of Rioja who has made it his mission to recover the best of Rioja’s “lost” legacy varietals and this wine is proof of his success. With deep, dark blackberry-like fruit, aromas of violets and nuances of peppery spices, this is a compellingly unique expression of Rioja. Ageing is 11 months in French oak – another point of difference from conventional modern Rioja which sees longer ageing, but in American oak. This beauty will shine with savory stews and grilled meats, especially the baby lamb chops so ubiquitous in northern Spain.
