From the Pérez Cuevas family in Rioja Oriental, this wine is produced with no added sulphites
Intense aromas of bramble, fig and plum fruit. There are also herbal, spicy, coffee and balsamic notes.
The palate is complex, with notes of ripe blueberry and blackcurrant balanced by savoury, meaty
characters, supple tannins and an appealing mineral character. Bright acidity leads to a long finish.
Raquel, Ruben and Maria Pérez Cuevas are part of the 3rd generation of the Cuevas family to make wine in Rioja Baja. Their father, Gabriel, inherited parcels of vineyards just outside the town of Quel on the higher slopes of the Sierra de Yerga mountain range. He was determined to produce wine that embodied the region, where he believed some of the highest quality wines from Rioja are made, and soon acquired more vineyard in the area.
The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from the Los Palos de Tanis, La Pasada and Viña María vineyards
belonging to the Ontañón Family in the Sierra de Yerga, Rioja Oriental. Planting began here at the
start of the 1990s, in very stony, loam-textured soils - at an average altitude of 680-800 metres.
Sulphites aren't used for the production of this wine, in either the vineyard, or during the winemaking
process, so the grapes are treated very carefully. They're picked by hand and transported to the winery
in small crates. Here they undergo a rigorous selection process, and after destemming, are put into the
press with dry ice. Fermentation takes place over seven days, with pigeage, to achieve a very high
level of colour and aroma extraction. Only the free-run must is used, and malolactic fermentation takes
place at a controlled temperature in barrels for two weeks. Natural fining agents and filtration are
employed before the wine is transferred to American oak casks, where it is aged for fifteen months
before bottling.
Roast Lamb with minted potatoes.