2015 La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Reserva Rioja (Half-Bottle)
This wine is a very classic example of Rioja that shows the glory of Tempranillo with a bit of age! Expect a medium-bodied palate marked by bright acidity and well-integrated tannins. Aged for two years in American oak barrels and produced using organic farming practices.
La Rioja Alta uses recycled water and recently installed solar farms in an ongoing effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
$20.00
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In 1890 when Spanish producers were trying to find their footing on the international market, a group of like-minded families founded the “Sociedad Vinicola de Rioja Alta” to elevate the quality and perception of Spanish wine. Since then the society has grown over the years to acquire new members and stellar wineries. Julio Sáenz became the head winemaker for Grupo La Rioja Alta in 2000, and remains to this day a knowledgeable and passionate source of fine winemaking expertise. He believes in continuing the tradition of extended aging, the use of American oak, racking by candlelight—but combines this with cutting edge technology and increasingly sustainable methods to ensure quality every year. La Rioja Alta imports American oak and cures the barrels for 2 years in their facilities in Haro, using master coopers on-site. Production is limited to 5,000 kilos per hectare to concentrate flavors. Installation of solar farms and use of recycled water are reducing their carbon footprint. Implementation of plant diversity in in their vineyards, limiting treatments in the vineyards, and using sustainably processed corks are just the start in their efforts to turn completely organic. As of today, 16 hectares of vineyards have been converted to 100% organic viticulture.
This wine is 100% Tempranillo from our Mayorita, Rebollar and Bardal vineyards, as well as selected plots in El Palo, Rodezno and Alto del Rey, Labastida. These vineyards are located at an altitude of 1,600-2,000 ft above sea level, planted in chalky-clay soils more than 40 years ago. The grapes were picked manually in 300 kg (660 lb) boxes and transported refrigerated to the winery, in order to keep them whole. The Bordeaux model was applied, destemming and crushing the grapes before putting them in tanks, where they underwent alcoholic and malolactic fermentation under controlled conditions. The wine was then matured for two years in American oak barrels manufactured in-house; the first year in new oak and the second year in four-year-old barrels. We carried out four rackings in the traditional way, under candlelight, from barrel to barrel, carefully separating the wine from the dregs.
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