La Quinta Cruz Mazuelo, 2019, Miguel Merino, 0,75 l
34,90 €
Meet Rioja's unique speciality, the mazuelo, which surprises us with intense aromas of black berries, blackcurrants, plum and violets. Aromas of black pepper, leather, humus and smoke follow. A wine of structure and elegance, with a long, harmonious aftertaste.
Availability: 4 in stock
Ruby red with a slight purplish tinge.
The aromas are intense and fine. There are black berries, blackcurrants, plums and violets. Aromas of black pepper, leather, humus and smoke follow.
A wine with a perceptible softness, but above all a lively freshness and velvety tannins, indicating the wine's long ageing potential. A wine of elegance and boldness of body with a long, harmonious finish.
A real charmer from Rioja.
Grape varieties: mazuelo
Mazuelo is a very prolific variety which ripens late and is more susceptible to various diseases. Its characteristics make it more suitable for growing in the Mediterranean climate zone than in areas strongly influenced by the Atlantic, including Rioja Alta. However, the unique microclimatic characteristics of the Quinta Cruz vineyard have proved ideal for growing this interesting variety, which certainly shows an extra dimension of Rioja elegance.
The La Quinta Cruz vineyard was planted in 1986 on the north-eastern slope of Calvario Hill, near the village of Briones and the Ebro River. The vineyard is planted on steep slopes and covers 1,2 hectares. The topsoil is very thin and consists of sand and gravel completely covered with gravel. The key factors that prevent the variety from growing so vigorously and allow the production of mazuela are from the Rioja Alta, an area strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean.
On 13 October 2018, 4 400 kilograms of grapes were harvested from La Quinta Cruz. The hand-harvested grapes were collected in small crates. Fermentation took place in a small stainless steel tank at controlled temperatures of between 24 and 25° Celsius with very little remontage (flowing the wine over a boiling hat).
The wine was racked into second-hand barrels - two 500-litre barrels and six barriques made of French oak. Here it underwent malolactic fermentation and matured for 12 months.
3,200 bottles were bottled. It is one of the few mazuelo wines from Rioja and also one of the few single-estate brands in the region.
Ageing potential: 7 years and more
Serving temperature: 16 - 18 °C
PRIZES AND AWARDS
96 points: Tim Atkin MW Rioja Report 2022
Wine of the Year: the Tim Atkin MW Rioja Report 2022
| Weight | 1,5 kg |
|---|---|
| Region | Rioja |
| Variety | mazuelo |
| House | Miguel Merino |
| Alcohol level | 14 % |
| Recommended temperature | 16-18 °C |
| Country | SPAIN |
| Ageing potential | 10-15 years |
| Wine style | Classic red wine |
| Yearbook | 2019 |
| Volume | 0,75 l |
| Vinification | Gentle spontaneous fermentation in small tanks at controlled temperatures, 12 months maturation in two 500 litre and six barrique French oak barrels |
| Food matching | Braised beef, braised venison, dry-aged steaks, homemade pasta with mushrooms, roast vegetables |
| Colour | Ruby red |
Miguel Merino je ena najmanjših kleti iz območja Rioja Alta. Gre za butično klet, ki svojo filozofijo kroji skozi sledenje eleganci. Leta 1994 jo je ustanovil Miguel Merino, ki je po dolgih letih izvažanja španskih vin po celem svetum uresničil svoje sanje o majhni in butični vinski kleti ‘bodegi’. Za svoj sedež je izbral Briones, eno najlepših vasi Rioje in, kar je še pomembneje, vas okoli katere so posajeni najstarejši vinogradi tega območja. Vsi njihovi vinogradi so v okolici vasice in so bili zasajeni med 1929 in 2001. Miguel z družino obdeluje skoraj 13 hektarjev in na leto pridela okoli 55.000 kg grozdja. Ukvarjajo se s tradicionalnim in trajnostnim vinogradništvom, brez uporabe herbicidov ter z veliko ročnega dela. Trgatev poteka ročno. Gre za zelo majhno, butično klet (ekipa 4 oseb), ki upravičeno velja za eno vodilnih tako imenovanega novega vala Rioja vin. Vina izvažajo v 23 držav. Na leto vstekleničijo približno 60.000 steklenic, ki jih sestavlja 7 različnih vin.
