Tempranillo Frank Gehry Selection - Bodega Marques de Riscal
After manual selection in order to eliminate any grapes that are not totally healthy and ripe, the alcoholic fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature not exceeding 26ºC, with a period of 14 days in the tank. Once the blending for this particular type of wine has been decided, it is refined in French oak barrels for 30 months, before being bottled and refined for another 3 years, thus completing the aging process and refinement of the tannins, in order to obtain a round, powerful and at the same time easy to drink wine. Aged for 30 months in French oak barrels.
Type: Red Wine
Denomination: Rioja D.O.Ca.
Origin: Spain, Rioja
Grape varieties: Tempranillo
Alcohol content: 14%
Format: 75cl with box
Allergens: Sulphites
Chalice: Grand Ballon
Serving Temperature: 18°C
Tasting Notes: Cherry colour, good color depth, almost opaque, with very few signs of evolution. Intense and complex bouquet, with notes of dark ripe fruit, balsamic nuances and a slightly mineral base. On the palate it is very well structured, with a sensation of freshness and an exceptional concentration of smooth tannins that give a warm and unctuous mouthfeel with a long and persistent finish in which you can discover the toasted notes of the fine French oak barrel. A wine with a tannic backbone and strong acidity bodes well for good future bottle aging, very much in the style of early 20th century Riscal wines.
Pairings: This wine goes well with ham, medium-aged cheeses, not too spicy casseroles, legume-based dishes, poultry, red meats, grilled meats and roasts
The Winery: The history of Marqués de Riscal began in 1858 when its founder, Camilo Hurtado de Amézaga, applied the wine production techniques used in Bordeaux to Elciego. Jean Pineau, cellar master of Château Lanessan in the upper Medoc, advised the then 6th Marquis of Riscal to produce wines according to the French method, thus abandoning a 'Riojan' style of winemaking considered rude and unrefined to found the first modern winery in the Rioja. In 1862 the first wines of the winery began to be bottled, and already in 1895 it became the first non-French winery to obtain the prestigious Diploma of Honor at the Bordeaux Exhibition. In the 1920s, when no winery stored bottled wine, Marqués de Riscal already accumulated thousands of bottles from different vintages in its warehouse, and today it is the winery with the largest number of old vintages in the world. As part of his entrepreneurial project, in the 2000s Marqués de Riscal designed a more avant-garde cellar model by virtue of which the entire context surrounding the ancient cellar was remodeled, building the so-called "Ciudad del Vino": a new winery equipped with the most sophisticated technology and a leisure center located inside a modern building designed by Frank Gehry, which has now become the symbol of the company, which houses a hotel and two restaurants. In Rioja Alavesa, the company's wine production is carried out from 1500 hectares of vineyards in Elciego, Leza, Laguardia and Villabuena de Álava, of which 500 hectares are owned and 985 are controlled. Since 1972 the company has also produced wine in Rueda, where in the 1980s it gave impetus to the creation of the Rueda designation of origin and where it has 205 hectares of property and another 250 hectares rented. It also has 200 hectares in the municipalities of Toro and San Román de Hornija, in the Province of Zamora, from which it produces reds from the land of Castilla y León. In 2011, Riscal was elected among the 10 most admired wine brands in the world by the prestigious Drinks International magazine, and in 2013 Wine Enthusiast magazine named it the Best Winery in Europe. Without a doubt, a great historical reference that continues to be at the forefront today.
