2019 Carravalseca Rioja Crianza, Bodegas Casa Primicia

£18.75 inc. VAT

A superb Rioja from the beautiful organic vineyard of Carravalseca, the jewel in the crown of Bodegas Casa Primicia, which sits in the sights of the medieval town of Laguardia.

The vineyard is elevated above it’s neighbours and is surrounded by a lagoon and a bird sanctuary. These natural habitats create the perfect environment for organic farming.

This Rioja is a blend of 97% Tempranillo and 3% Graciano, picked by hand from the ultra-healthy vines of the Carravalseca vineyard. Once picked the grapes are quickly transported to the winery, which is just a stone’s throw away, and go through a vigorous selection  process. A long cool fermentation period follows and then the wine is aged in new French and American oak (50/50) in the cellars of the original Casa Primicia winery in Laguardia. The winery dates back to the 15th century and is one of the oldest in Spain.

The 2016 is marked by a wonderful freshness with balances beautifully with the fruit intensity. It has great structure and the tannins are soft which makes the wine delicious when young. Ripe cherry and black fruit mingle effortlessly with the spicy oak flavours and the palate is rich and harmonious. This is everything great Rioja should be but isn’t always the case which is why small producers like Casa Primicia are sought after.

This is superb with most roast meats and lighter cheeses.

13.5%