Finca La Montesa Crianza 2021
Rioja, J. Palacios Remondo, 750 ml
The all-rounder
- Impresses with elegance and versatility – when paired with food, it proves itself to be an all-rounder.
- Spice and subtle wood notes meet ripe plums and dark berries – intense and very harmonious.
- Goes well with paella, mature cheese – even chocolate by the fireside.
Description
A wine that has taken the hearts of wine lovers by storm – and with good reason! When paired with food, it proves to be a true all-rounder. Its smooth tannins and juicy freshness make it a real winner at the table. On the palate, ripe, dark fruit flavours. The gentle oak ageing is evident in notes of mocha, milk chocolate and spices. Intense and very harmonious. Whether with a rustic paella, lamb or pork chops, mature hard cheese or even a piece of chocolate – this wine can handle almost anything.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Garnacha |
| Producer: | J. Palacios Remondo |
| Origin: | Spain / Rioja |
| Other bottle sizes: | 375 ml 1500 ml 5000 ml |
| Label: | Certified organic or biodynamic wine |
| Ripening potential: | 2 to 10 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Apéro riche, Crispy roast chicken, Paella, Vegetable flan, quiche, Spicy hard cheese |
| Vinification: | fermentation with grapes' own yeast, long must fermentation, fermentation in steel tank |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, strict selection, selecting the grapes (by hand) |
| Maturation: | in new barriques, in used barriques |
| Bottling: | no filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 12 months |
| Volume: | 14.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
J. Palacios Remondo
He was born «at home», above his father’s bodega – Álvaro Palacios, Spain’s star winemaker. The scent of wine and barrels was surely in the air and shaped the rest of his life. He studied oenology in Bordeaux and gained professional experience at Château Pétrus, in London, Dublin and California. Today, he owns vineyards in Priorat, Bierzo and back home in La Rioja, and year after year he demonstrates his extraordinary talent with top-quality wines.
He loves his family, motorbikes, nature, Camarón’s songs, a challenge and taking risks. You immediately take him at his word when he admits that his second calling was to be a ‘torero’ – a bullfighter. He exudes dynamism and strength. At the age of 21, he went to Bordeaux to study oenology. The next stage was a two-year position at Château Pétrus.
Sometimes you have to leave before you can truly come home. Álvaro’s father, José Palacios, had built the winery in Alfaro in the mid-1940s and made it a success. The family’s winemaking tradition dates back to the 17th century. For Álvaro, there was never any question that he would carry on the tradition – even though he initially did so as a winemaker in Priorat. When his father died in 2000, the family asked him to take charge of the winery in La Rioja as well. And so he suddenly found himself back in his old home, albeit with a whole new vision.
Garnacha
Grenache seldom comes alone
Spaniards and Sardinians make the Grenache contentious: both claim it originated from their country. In fact, it had already appeared in both places by the 16th century. But a large number of mutations in Spain indicates that it has deeper roots on the Iberian Peninsula. The Grenache is meaty, rich in tannins and spicy, with a wonderful, fruity sweetness and rich aromas of blackberry, cassis, plums and pepper. Under the name Garnacha, it contributes fullness to the Rioja. In Sardinia it is called Cannonau, where it yields strong, expressive wines. But its stronghold is in France. Grenache is the star in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and streams into many other assemblages from the south. Its preferred partners are Syrah and Mourvèdre. This blend is also very popular abroad. In Australia, these wines are simply called "GSM".
Rioja
Rioja: A legend in upheaval
It is the flagship of the Spanish wine industry: the Rioja region, with its elegant, yet storable wines, most of which are dominated by the Tempranillo, has decisively influenced the image of Spanish wine. Above all, the Reservas and Gran Reservas, aged for years in barrels, enjoy a magical reputation. For about 20 years, the Rioja houses have created a sensation with modern-designed, fruity wines, which are marked more by their terroir than their aging processes.
Spain
Spain – Variety and perfection
“Somewhere in la Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember...,” begins Don Quixote's odyssey.
The most famous part is definitely when Don Quixote thinks windmills are his enemy and wants to fight them – until they nearly kill him. It’s possible there was a bit too much of the La Mancha wine at play. Spanish vines fight for their survival in rugged landscapes, battling fierce drought and rough soils. But they fight well.
