Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
The Amézola de la Mora family vineyard originated in the 19th century. Already then it enjoyed a good reputation in large parts of the country. With the appearance of the dreaded phylloxera plague, however, production unfortunately came to an end. In 1986, Iñigo Amézola de la Mora brought the family estate back to life.
María and Cristina, the daughters of Iñigo Amézola, who unfortunately died too early, now lead the family estate into the future as a young generation with gentle innovation, without neglecting the deeply rooted traditions. Torremontalbo is the name of the hamlet at a crossroads with as many as four houses. The bodega, not far away, is connected to an underground tunnel. 60 hectares of vineyards spread over at 600 to 700 metres above sea level around the bodega, which is built on a gentle hill. The view sweeps over the wide valley of the Ebro, from the Rioja Alta to the Rioja Alavesa on the other side of the river.
Red wines from Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
from Bodegas Amézola de la Mora
The soils in the Rioja Alta are predominantly loamy-calcareous. The subsoil contains sand and large chunks of lime, as one soil profile showed. They serve as water reservoirs for the long dry summer periods. In winter, the Cantabrian Mountains in the north protect from cold northern winds. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo, some of which are over 40 years old, are harvested by hand and traditionally vinified in steel tanks without temperature regulation. The pressing is carried out gently with old basket presses. The ageing takes place mainly in used barrels. The results are delicate, traditional, classically elegant Riojas, which only leave the winery after longer storage in barrels and bottles than required by law, so that they do not require further storage in your cellar and are immediately ready to drink.
Producer
Heymann-Löwenstein / Fam. Löwenstein
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Maria Casanovas
The Bodega or Cava Maria Casanovas is located in the heart of the Penedès, in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the centre of Cava production. It is owned by the Casanovas family and managed by three children of Maria Casanovas. Jordi and Jacint are responsible for the vineyards and the cellar, Rosa for administration and marketing.
Dominio de Pingus
The first Pingus was bottled in 1995. This limited production wine from Ribera del Duero made history with a legendary rating from Robert Parker Junior (1998): "One of the greatest young red wines I have ever tasted." The vintage is also at the centre of a somewhat mythical-sounding story – the freighter carrying a quarter of the limited production sank off the Azores, with the wine ending up in Davy Jones's locker at the bottom of the sea.