Sierra Cantabria Amancio 2004

2004 Vintage

D. O. Calificada Rioja
Varieties: Tempranillo 100 %.

Tasting Notes:
It offers a nose which is already sexy and complex with expressive spice, wild flowers, and dark fruit aromas. Plush, bordering on voluptuous on the palate, it will continue to blossom for another 3-4 years and drink well through 2029.

Origin of the Grapes:
Vineyard: Proprietary vineyard in “La Veguilla” area, in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, La Rioja. Surface: 15 Has (37 acres). Altitude: 575 m. (1,890 ft). Sun exposure: S.S.E. (South- Southeast). Soils of calcareous clay; abundance of small rounded stones on surface. Age: 20 to 35 years old vines. Density of plantation: 4,000 vines per hectare. Type of training: Head-trained in goblet and on trellis. Organic fertilization. Environmental integrated agriculture cultivation. Exhaustive manual harvesting in boxes. Rigorous selection (in a vineyard of exceptional characteristics and low yield –29 Hls./ Ha., exclusively of just the perfectly-formed, healthy and mature bunches were picked resulting in only 8-10 % of all the bunches from the vineyard. Date of harvest: Third week in October, 2004

Vinification:
De-stemmed by hand with a rigorous selection of every grape. Cold pre-fermentative maceration during 6 days.

Fermentation:
Fermented in French oak barrels of 5 hectoliters of capacity and in 2 French oak vats of 10 hectoliters. Pressed by foot twice per day during the 8 days of fermentation. Maceration: On the skins for 16 days. Malolactic Fermentation: In 100 % new French oak Bordelaise barrels.

Aging:
Barrel: 24 months in a different new French oak Bordelaise barrels (“200 % new barrel”). Racking every four months. Bottle: Since January 2007

Presentation:
Bottle: Bordelais Antiqua, 750 mL and 1,280 grams; Quercia colour, U.V. filtered.
Cork: 54 mm long by 24.5 mm diameter, average density 180 grams. Washed and sterilized. 100% Natural, maximum quality. Label: Recyclable paper printed with ecological ink (without heavy metals).

Winemaker: Marcos Eguren.

Ratings:

R Parker : ´Perhaps my favourite value winery in Rioja´