Tasting Note

Named 80/10/10 for its blend, the wine exhibits very different notes from each of its grapes and, at this moment, is almost gangly and awkward in its youthfulness. But aeration allows its brooding 10% Graciano and raisiny 10% Garnacha to meld with the more noble notes of the 80% Tempranillo. Give this one some time to grow together and enjoy the show.

Wine Description

This wine is a blend of grapes harvested from 45- to 50-year-old vineyards. The ripening process is thoroughly monitored in order to ascertain the optimal timing for harvest. The grapes are harvested by hand into 10kg capacity boxes and are immediately transported to the winery to protect them from potential damage. By tradition, the grapes then undergo fermentation for about 30 days. After alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation is conducted in new French oak barrels, which provide an excellent integration of lacteous, fruity, and oak notes. Finally, the wine is aged in these barrels for approximately 15 months.

About the Winery

Bodegas Martínez Corta is located in Uruñuela in the heart of Rioja Alta and has produced quality wines for more than 50 years. Since the 1960s, Martínez Corta consistently has been the most important wine estate in Uruñuelo, elaborating its wines in a medieval cellar that has remained a part of the estate. The estate vineyards include 225 acres of head-pruned, old-vine Tempranillo (at least 40 years in age), located in Uruñuelo, Cenicero, and San Asensio. Vineyard parcels are typically located on high slopes poor in organic materials, which maintains elegance and minerality in the wines. A new gravity-flow bodega was completed in 2006 to produce fully extracted, fruit-driven wines expressing the complexity and velvet palate of the noble Tempranillo variety.

Visit their website: http://www.bodegasmartinezcorta.com