Maisulan 12 2018

The Madurado 12 Meses is a cuvée of 90 % Tempranillo and 10 % Graciano. The fruit comes from Elvillar and Viñaspre in Rioja Alavesa. The vineyards there are at 470 to 570 metres. The fruit comes from the Los Lagos, Castillejo, Majadahonda and Sobremoro vineyards. There you will find clay soils with coral limestone and low water retention capacity. The 45-year-old vines are planted in the vineyard as goblet vines, i.e. bush vines. After manual harvesting and sorting, the grapes were destemmed and fermented spontaneously at 23 to 26 °C for 18 days. The wine was aged for twelve months in used French wood.

intense, slightly transparent purple

The 12 Meses seems like a sensual archetype of the Alavesa Rioja. Smoothly presents a ripe fruit of raspberries, wild strawberry compote and ripe black cherries in combination with a little yeast, some cumin, undergrowth and a little peat. Cool rocks flash in the background.

On the palate, the wine is present from the first moment and clearly darker than could be foreseen in the aroma. Notes of black cherries and plums are mixed with a few elderberries and sloes, even a little beetroot, which gives the wine an earthy note in addition to the dark fruit. The tannin still seems firm, but already shows fine grain. The acidity is lively and punchy in this cuvée of Tempranillo with Graciano. It combines with the powdery texture.