“Crianza” Ribera del Duero 2020 – Marqués de Burgos

To produce the “Crianza” Ribera del Duero Marqués de Burgos, the hand-harvested grapes were destemmed and lightly crushed before fermentation in stainless-steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 25°C. Regular pump overs during fermentation ensured perfect levels of extraction of tannin, colour and flavour. After fermentation, the wine was aged in new French oak barrels for 14 months, followed by 12 months of bottle ageing before release.

The Tempranillo for the “Crianza” comes from 40-year-old vines located in the towns of Quintana del Pidio, La Horra and Roa de Duero within the province of Burgos. These old vines produce low yields of very concentrated and intense fruit, packed full of flavour. The vineyards are on south-facing slopes at an altitude of 850 metres above sea level. Cool nights at this altitude counteract the heat of the days and allow the grapes to retain a balancing acidity.

Marqués de Burgos is the Ribera del Duero operation of Bodegas LAN. Established experts in working with Tempranillo in Rioja, they embarked on a search for prime vineyard sites within the Ribera del Duero region, where this mighty grape also thrives. Their thorough search led them to the village of Quintana del Pidio and old bush-vine vineyards producing low yields (around three tonnes per hectare) of intensely flavoured grapes. María Barúa is at the winemaking helm and perfectly marries the exuberant berry-fruit aromas of Tempranillo with subtle spiciness from measured use of oak.