2008 - Sierra Cantabria Amancio, Rioja

The 2008 Amancio (a wine named after the great-grandfather of the current Eguren generation) is 100% Tempranillo from a rocky 16.4-hectare vineyard in San Vicente de la Sonsierra called La Veguilla, which was planted in 1975. The bunches are destemmed by hand and the grapes ferment with their own yeast in 10-hectoliter French oak vats where they are foot-trodden twice a day during the first six days. The wine ages for 24 months in French and American oak barrels and is racked every four months. 2008 is a harvest that combines power with freshness, and the nose of the wine is extremely subtle with great harmony and purity. The aromas combine soil notes with fine spices and red and black fruit, but it’s definitively more soil-driven than fruit-driven. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with subtle flavors, great balance and elegance. If I had to find one word to define this wine it would be pure. A very complex Atlantic Rioja that will live a long life. 4,000 bottles produced. Drink 2015-2030. I tasted through the portfolio of three wineries belonging to the Eguren family and realized they were constantly mentioning that the wines were fermented with “yeast coming from their own vineyard,” so I queried winemaker Marcos Eguren what that really meant. It turns out that they have been carrying out an extensive study of the natural yeasts in their vineyards and found that 99% of the existing yeasts were non-saccharomyces. They have isolated two or three of this non-saccharomyces yeasts and a saccharomyces from their own vineyards which are subsequently used for the fermentation of their wines. These yeasts are kept at -80º C at the Navarra University, which is part of this research to avoid changes and mutations from happening. The study has not yet concluded. These are the wines from the Sierra Cantabria winery in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, which were extremely impressive and pure. Imported by Fine Estates from Spain, Dedham, MA; tel. (781) 461-5767

(100% tempranillo): Bright purple. Explosive aromas of primary dark berries, cola, vanilla and incense, with a strong spicy quality that builds with air. Sappy, penetrating boysenberry and blueberry flavors are deeply concentrated but surprisingly energetic, with a firm spine of acidity adding structure. Finishes silky, sweet and very long, with resonating spice and floral qualities. This is a baby.

Single-vineyard wine from 16.5 ha of Tempranillo vines planted in 1975 on clay-limestone. Fermented in 500-litre casks and aged for 24 months in new French barriques where malolactic conversion takes place. Rich and sumptuous on the nose with hints of ozone and seaside, funnily enough. Light as air and nicely integrated fruit although there is still a little tannin evident in this half-bottle. Spicy and savoury with quite a lot of potential for evolution in bottle. Concentrated. (JR)