Ondarre Rioja ‘Gran Reserva’ (2016)

Tasting Notes

This Ondarre wine displays a complex and mature bouquet of rich fruit aromas, along with hints of spice and notes of raisined fruit layered with tobacco and leather. Elegant and velvety, this is classic Gran Reserva Rioja.

About

The carefully selected grapes for this wine come from the 40 year old, low yielding vines from the old vineyards surrounding the village of Viana, which overlooks the Rioja Valley.

The grapes are grown at elevations of 600 to 750 metres, where the diversity of the soils contribute to the complexity in the wine. The terrain is quite uneven due to several streams that run down from the mountains and create a special microclimate. The streams ensure good drainage which encourages the Gobelet trained vines to struggle a little to produce concentrated wines, which are consequently richer in flavours.

The wine went through malolactic conversion in new oak casks, originating from Missouri and Central France. Ageing took place on the lees, lasting for 28 months with regular racking. In order to retain maximum concentration, the wine was fined naturally, with a series of successive rackings. Once bottled, the wine received bottle ageing for 32 months. As the wine was bottled without tartaric stabilisation, it may leave a deposit in the bottle, so decanting is recommended.

Ideal with...

Mature, hard cheese, red meats, and game. Ondarre Rioja Gran Reserva is also the perfect wine to just sit down with at the end of the night to relax in its complex, inviting depth.