Rioja Reserva Señorío Amézola 2015
DOC Rioja, Bodegas Amézola de la Mora, 750 ml
Description
For aficionados of the classic Rioja style! Is there anything better than enjoying a perfectly matured wine in a glass? This Reserva offers exactly this palate experience. The long ageing in barriques and the many years of bottle ageing manifest themselves in an impressive variety of flavours: vanilla, cinnamon and coconut. On the palate, it is refreshingly elegant, delicate and juicy. It shows its best side with dark meat dishes.
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano |
| Producer: | Bodegas Amézola de la Mora |
| Origin: | Spain / Rioja |
| Ripening potential: | 4 to 10 years |
| Drinking temperature: | 16 to 18 °C |
| Food Pairing: | Calf's kidneys with mustard sauce, Roasted lamb gigot, Spicy hard cheese, Hearty stew with pulses |
| Vinification: | fermentation in steel tank, long must fermentation, soft pressing |
| Harvest: | hand-picking, in small boxes |
| Maturation: | in used barriques, some months bottle storage before sale |
| Bottling: | filtration |
| Maturation duration: | 22 months |
| Volume: | 14.0 % |
| Note: | Contains sulphites |
Graciano
A small, mundane black one
Graciano is an old red variety, originally from Sardinia. However, it was propagated diligently after the Spanish occupation of the island in the 16th century. Thus, today it is found in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil and South Africa, among others. But this vine achieved particular importance in Spain.
Until 1850, Graciano was one of the most important varieties in Rioja. But the phylloxera epidemic afflicted the Graciano so seriously that it was threatened with extinction. In 1991, the Rioja region was classified as a controlled region of origin, whereby Graciano experienced an upturn.
The late-maturing, low-yielding vine generates small blue-black bunches with extremely hard-skinned berries. Purely Graciano wines are dark in color with striking acidity and intense tannins. In blends, Graciano lends acidity, structure and bouquet to red wines. It also enhances the aging potential.
Tempranillo
Iberian Native
The Tempranillo is the emblem of Spain. With its juicy cherry fruit, crisp tannins, and its notes of leather and spices, it gives the Rioja its face. In the Ribera del Duero, it is known as Tinta del país. Here it turns out focused and muscular. As it has inhabited the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, it is known under countless synonyms. Across the border in Portugal, it is called Tinta Roriz, and lends colour and body to port wine. It also plays an important role in the booming wine scene of the Douro Valley. The Tempranillo owes its name to its early maturity – "temprano" in Spanish means "early". Tip: do it like they do in Spain and enjoy it with lamb.
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.
