La Antigua Clasico Rioja Reserva 2014

Toasted Walnut Shells, Caramel, Dried Cherries, Dried Black Figs, Balsamic Syrup, Creme Brûlée

"I visited Rioja with this winemaker, Alberto Orte, in 2007 and we spent the day touring old vineyards planted at very high elevation. Fast forward 15 years and Alberto is now releasing a series of Rioja wines from those very vineyards, which are uncommon because they also face primarily north. In the northern hemisphere the conventional wisdom is that the best vineyards face south/southeast/southwest to receive maximum sunlight. However, as the climate is warming many grape growers now see this as a liability in the warmest growing regions.

One other unique attribute contributing to its freshness is that this wine is 60% Garnacha and only 30% Tempranillo, the remainder being Graciano. While Garnacha is not known for high acidity, it does ripen quickly and in vineyards oriented north does not achieve as high alcohol as those facing south. This combination contributes to the “freshness” of the overall wine. One other cool thing about this wine, it is aged for 24 months in stainless steel, then an additional 6 years in a combination of French and American oak. Technically this wine qualifies as a Gran Reserva but Alberto does not want to pay the additional tax. So he labels it simply as Reserva." - Tim