Remelluri Rioja Reserva 2012 750 ML

The nose is full of pine forest, wild herbs, and black raspberries. A smoky raspberry depth yields to herbs, roasted cherries, and lively minerality. It is a wine that is incredibly focused and long-lasting through to the finish.

Producer Information
Remelluri – to use its shorthand name – is a family winery near Labastida in the Alavesa zone of Rioja. It is known in particular for its red wines based on the Tempranillo grape variety. The estate was founded by monks in the 14th Century. However various evidence points to wine being made on the site since much earlier. The vineyards changed ownership often before being purchased by Jaime Rodríguez in 1967. In 2010 his children, Amaia and Telmo Rodríguez (well known for his own wine labels) took over control. They cut production by one third, focusing entirely on estate fruit for the main label. Garnacha is being transitioned to traditional bush vines. It is also planned to introduce mixed variety vineyards. While the estate has always avoided chemical inputs, organic certification was achieved in 2010. In the winery, each plot is fermented separately using native yeasts. Little new oak is used, wines are bottled after a light filtration and fining. The estate grown red wines are a Reserva and Gran Reserva. The former is made mainly with Tempranillo. Smaller components of Garnacha (Grenache), Graciano, and the white varieties Viura, Moscato and Malvasia may feature. It is aged for around 16 months in French oak barrels and in total spends at least three years in the cellar. The Granja Remelluri Gran Reserva is a blend of the best fruit and has great aging potential. The blend is similar to that of the Reserva. The Granja Remelluri spends 26 months in French oak barrels and is released after a minimum of six years. The Remelluri Blanco is a blend of up to nine different grape varieties. It is fermented in a mix of barrels, large wooden vats and concrete tanks. After 12 months maturation in the same containers, it is blended. It then spends another eight months in tank. Fruit from established contract growers in the nearby villages now goes into two wines sold under the Las Lindes de Remelluri label. Each is named after the village in question; Labastida and San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Vinification for these is essentially the same with both spending 10 months in French oak barrels. This allows site to come to the fore. The Labastida vineyards lies at a higher altitude. The wine is therefore higher in acidity and lower in alcohol than the San Vicente.