Description

Located in Baños de Río Tobía (Rioja Alta), in the coldest zone and limit of cultivation of the DO Ca. Rioja. They have vineyards that are over 90 years old and others planted in recent years with minority experimental varieties such as Maturana Tinta, Maturana Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco, among others, which have been recovered after a long research process. This commitment against the current to recover vine varieties in danger of extinction, has made it possible to recover unique varieties such as Tempranillo Blanco and Maturana Tinta.

Board Characteristics

Store: Own vineyards, in Baños del Río Tobía (La Rioja), carry out manual harvesting.
DOCa. The Rioja
Grade: 15%
Variety: 100% Grenache

CATA's notes: It is shown in a red glass, with purple flashes.

On the nose: strong aroma of red fruit (raspberry) is revealed.

In the mouth: fine tannins and great length are presented

Operating temperature: 16-18ºC

Preparation: Manual in box of 15 kgs. during the last week of October.

Vinification: Destemmed grapes that are concealed in 500-liter French Tronçais oak barrels and carry out alcoholic fermentation. No sulfur or other additives are used.

Aging: 11 months of aging on its lees in 500 liter French Tronçais oak barrels.

Pairing: At Made in Spain Gourmet we recommend it with Sausages / Grilled Vegetables / Stewed beef / Cooked, / Pasta with mushrooms / Grilled lamb and cured sheep and goat cheeses.

Ecological Viticulture

The project practices organic viticulture, in search of natural wines, faithful to the terroir, respectful of the environment, and healthy at the same time. No pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers are used. In these years they have achieved a perfect adaptation of the vineyard to its natural complexity, as well as the development of resistance to diseases, promoting adequate and organic growth of the vines.

His winemaking philosophy is based on the concept of minimal intervention and the preservation of purity at all stages of viticulture and winemaking.

Its vineyards are located in Baños de Rio Tobia, in the highest and coolest area of Rioja Alta at an altitude of 565 to 750 meters above sea level.

The climate is influenced by the Atlantic, with cold winters, hot summers and long, mild autumns. The great fluctuation in temperature between day and night causes slow maturation, which is very suitable for the development of polyphenols and aromas and gives our wines great balance and elegance.

La Rioja Alavesa: the elite of La Rioja wines

La Rioja Alavesa is framed as a sub-zone in the Rioja Qualified Denomination of Origin. It has 13.500 hectares of vineyards and several hundred wineries, which result in an annual average of around 40 million liters of wine.

The area especially produces red wines with general specific characteristics, such as a bright and lively color, a fine aroma, a fruity taste and a pleasant palate. These peculiarities are due to the clayey-calcareous soils of the area, which are excellent for the vines to absorb the necessary moisture. The climate and the location of the vineyards also contribute to its quality, behind the Sierra de Toloño, which protects the vines from the cold north winds and allows the vines to take better advantage of the heat.

The reds are the most representative wines of the region and are made with the Tempranillo varieties (around 79% of the total is produced from this grape), Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.

The young or red wines of the year are mostly made using the traditional method of carbonic maceration, in which whole clusters are fermented in a 'lake' for between seven and ten days. Once free of skins and scratches, they go to the vats where they will finish fermentation.

For their part, crianza, reserva and gran reserva wines are made using the Bordeaux or destemming process. It consists of breaking the grape, removing the stems and incubating the must with its paste for seven days. After several fermentations, they go to the barrels for aging. It will be the time spent in the barrel and in the bottle that will make the difference between crianzas, reservas and gran reservas.

Due to the fact that rosé and white wines are increasingly appreciated both inside and outside our borders, winemakers and oenologists work on the production of quality wines from these varieties, in a bid to approach all markets.

Additional Information

Weight :	1,5 kg
do	DOCa Rioja

Information about Juan Carlos Sancha

In La Rioja, a Qualified Designation of Origin, we basically find a type of grape par excellence, the tempranillo. Although there are winemakers who are recovering other types of native grapes, such as Maturana Tinta. This is a grape with small and compact clusters, it has a great coloring capacity and works wonderfully with oak. The aging helps to polish its tannins and gives it volume and silkiness on the palate. It was perhaps its low productivity that was cornering it until it became a marginal grape. Currently, there are already several wineries that are striving to recover this variety in their vineyards and making excellent wines with it.

Together with a colleague, he began to investigate each section of land in the DO Ca. Rioja to try to discover and recover those autochthonous varieties that were on the verge of disappearing forever. About 18 varieties had already been lost in a century and they did not want this constant trickle to continue.

Thanks to this detective work, 27 varieties were saved from burning, among them the white Tempranillo, the Red Maturana, the White Maturana and the Monastel de Rioja, among others. Once these wonderful varieties were protected, the second phase began, the production of fantastic wines with those grapes.

In addition, it has created very elegant wines with Garnacha, a once main variety in Rioja and which is now a very minority. Hence, for all his work we have come to call Sancha "craftsman and savior."

The Juan Carlos Sancha Wineries. These wineries are located in Baños de Río Tobía in Rioja Alta, one of the coolest areas of the appellation, they have focused their efforts on making red garnacha wines, but also minority varieties such as white tempranillo or maturanas (white and ink). Juan Carlos Sancha himself has participated from his chair at the University of La Rioja in the research project for the recovery of autochthonous varieties. The 5,5 hectares of vineyard surround the winery and Juan Carlos' home. The vines planted in very high densities on poor soils at about 600 meters above sea level, offer grapes of unbeatable quality and great concentration. The intervention in the vineyard is minimal and always under ecological parameters, with respect for the environment as an essential concept. In a winery with basic equipment, up to six wines are made, including Ad Libitum maturana Tinta, Cerro la Isa (Garnacha) and Peña el Gato (Garnacha).