La Rioja Aster Crianza
| Description: | Vintage. After a mild winter, the spring was affected by heavy rains and the coldest average temperatures in the last nine years. This was followed by a hot, dry summer, with marked day/night temperature differences in September (highs above 28-30 °c and lows under 10 °c); ideal conditions for optimum grape ripening. The wines from our vineyards showed good intensity and great fruit expression, dominated this year by red fruit and spices and a good balance between acidity and alcohol content. Vineyards. 100% Tinta del País from the estate-owned Fuentecojo, Otero, Joven and La Cueva vineyards surrounding our winery in Anguix, Burgos. They are planted on silt loam soils located at an altitude close to 780 meters above sea level. Winemaking and ageing. We took advantage of cool morning temperatures to manually pick the grapes and carefully take them to the winery, where they were painstakingly inspected at the sorting table. After gentle destemming and crushing, the grapes were placed in tanks where they underwent alcoholic fermentation at a temperature below 28 °c. After 16 days of fermentation and maceration, 80% of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, with weekly bâttonages for two months. The wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 70% in new wood and the rest in barrels with two wines. We racked this wine three times employing traditional methods and bottled it in March 2016. Tasting. Bright cherry-red, with medium-high depth and a garnet-red background. The nose discloses a wide aromatic range and strong intensity. Ripe red fruit, mild aromas of underbrush and a spicy background, with hints of fine wood, cedar, balsam, coffee and liquorice. In the mouth, the power and balance of Ribera del Duero appears together with pleasant, tamed, well-rounded tannins. With a broad aftertaste, the new Áster Crianza vintage will become more rounded in the bottle over time. Pairing. An elegant Ribera del Duero which pairs well with roasts, spicy stews and aged cheeses. Region Description. This Spanish grape gives wines deep color, low acidity and only moderate alcohol content. In recent years the Ribera del Duero region has been producing wonderful wines featuring this grape; in older, more traditional regions such as Rioja, the grape is blended with others. |
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| Price: | $ 29.99 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Haskell's
| Address: |
81 South 9th Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 United States |
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| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-486-2434 |
| Telephone (regular): | 612-342-2437 |
| Fax: | 612-342-2440 |
First added to 1000 Corks on April 15, 2022.
