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Country: | Spain |
Region: | Rioja |
Winery: | Valsacro |
Grape Types: | Tempranillo Garnacha |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Vinsacro (Valsacro)( Rioja is predominately 70yr old 55% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo, 10% Graciano and 5% Monastrell aged in American oak.
Dark cherry color. Intense and elegant sweet spices, chocolate and ripe fruit with suggestive toasty aromas that tell us about the aging in good oak. Tasty, powerful, meaty and structured and at the same time easy to drink, very round.
The slogan of our winemaker "Wine is to enjoy". Vinsacro red wine is a wine to be stored, so that positive developments are expected for at least 15 years.
"A modern wine from Rioja Oriental, this is a blend of tempranillo (50 percent), mazuelo (10 percent) and mixed old vines, all farmed by the Escudero family. They allow the fruit to ferment spontaneously, age it in new American oak barrels, and present a wine filled with supple harmonies and long-lasting flavors of plums and tobacco, intensely concentrated and delicious. The oak aging lends a sandalwood note of incense, the meaty Morello cherry notes give it a satisfying feel. Pour it with grilled ventresca tuna. - Joshua GREENE"
- Wine & Spirits Magazine (February 13th 2023), 94 pts
The Valsacro Estate
The Escudero family has been making wine and growing grapes for generations in the rugged, semi-desert foothills around Grávalos in the southwestern corner of the Rioja Baja region. Over the last 15 years or so, the Escudero brothers led by Bordeaux-trained winemaker Amador have transformed the small family "bodega" into a major Rioja wine producer. The changes have come gradually and in addition to the new winery at Pradejón (near Calahorra) they have greatly extended vineyard acreage, a very successful "cava" sparkling wine venture (one of the few non-Catalonian cava makers), and extensive Chardonnay plantings (disallowed in Rioja, but OK for cava). Amador, now in his mid-forties, is not one to shy away from taking risks to make things happen. The Valsacro project is an excellent case in point.
"One of the most adventuresome of "new Rioja" producers; amazing Dioro selection has explosive fruit; new project in Navarra called Logos bears watching."
- Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
The Valsacro Vineyards
Operating from the small Grávalos facility, Amador realized that some of his vineyards offered the potential to do something better (and different). These old vineyards, some over 100 years planted in the old fashioned "vidau" style offered the kind of raw material needed to make a modern-style premium wine - a Rioja with a difference. ["Vidau" is a mixed variety vineyard - a field blend ready to pick.] The vineyards include Tempranillo, Mazuelo, Graciano & Garnacha. A typical Valsacro is about 40% "vidau" (majority is Garnacha with Tempranillo & Garnacha), 50% Tempranillo from 28 year old vines and 10% Mazuela (Carignan) from 25 year old vines.
Bernardins Beaumes de Venise Rouge Cru Cotes du Rhone is made from 65% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache Blanc.
Bright ruby color with cherry tinges. Complex black fruit aromas on the nose enhanced by spicy notes. Rounded palate with good length.
The wine is drinking well right now and can be kept for another 10 years.
Situation
Spreads out over the south-east side of the Dentelles de Montmirail hills, in Beaumes de Venise in the southern part of the Rhone valley.
Terroir
On a poor sandy, hungry and arid soil consisting of tender limestone and gritty zones of sandy mollasse.
In the vineyard
The vineyards and their terroir are the essence of our wines. This is where everything starts and where we focus our efforts throughout the year. You can’t make great wine without great grapes.
The viticulture is essentially done by hand. Five people work full-time in the vineyards. They are supplemented by seasonal employees who work during bunch thinning and the harvest in order to bring out the very best in our vines. Working by hand and the attention each vine gets are fundamental. Pruning, de-budding, trellising, leaf removal and picking are thus carried out by hand with the utmost care.
We prepare the soil by using good old-fashioned ploughing. Organic compost is made from grape marc (the discarded stalks and skins).
As a way of protecting the plants, we only use phytosanitary products when necessary and within strict guidelines by staggering the treatments appropriately, to minimise the amount of chemicals used. We prefer to use as much as possible manual and organic techniques . Leaving natural grass cover, removing buds and leaves from the vines, preserving biodiversity around the vineyard: olive, almond and cypress trees, wild rosemary and capers.
Winemaking
We make two red wines at the estate. Terroir wines shaped by the two classic Côtes du Rhône varieties: Grenache and Syrah. We don’t follow any winemaking recipe but are constantly searching for the perfect expression of terroir and each vintage’s particular characteristics. We don’t go for overripe grapes and over-extraction, as we think the wine has to stay refreshing and balanced.
Leaving the wine for 15 days in concrete vats, we try to gently extract the tannins and anthocyanins essential for the wine’s structure and colour. The wine doesn’t come into any contact with wood during ageing. This way the characteristics of our terroir can fully express
Serve with a meal especially red meat, game and cheese.
Livia Fontana Roero Arneis is made from 100 percent Arneis.
Straw-yellow color with green highlights. Delicate, fresh and floral bouquet, rich in peach and apple flavor. Well balanced with little acidity.The wine is produced in Priocca and Castagnito, about a 2-hectare vineyard located at 250-350 m a.s.l.Organoleptic characteristics: straw-yellow color with green highlights. Delicate, fresh and floral bouquet, rich in peach and apple flavor. Well balanced with acidity.
Classic accompaniment to fish and seafood as well as any kind of starter. Excellent also with first courses or as an aperitif.
Gundián is a local surname & the name of several Galician villages (3 in the area) as well as a famous bridge in Galicia - thus the bridge graphic on the label. The Gundián Bridge, also known as the Gundián Viaduct, is a bridge that spans the Ulla river pass, on the old railway line between Orense and Santiago de Compostela.
Clean and bright wine, straw yellow color with greenish flashes. On the nose, it has fruity and floral aromas of high intensity, especially apple and stone fruits (apricot). In the mouth, the freshness and youth of the Albariño stand out with a well balanced acidity which makes it savory, sweet and glyceric.
Hugl Rosselberg Horse Hill Gruner Veltliner is made from 100% Grüner Veltliner
A powerful, very ripe Grüner Veltliner, intense and full-bodied with a long finish.
The ripe grapes are processed very gently with 12 hours on the skins and then vinified in Stainless Steel tanks. No Oak.
A firm mineral backbone, gives it the strength of character to work well with many cuisines.
Xavier Vignon Cotes du Rhone Rouge Vieilles Vignes is made from 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah
Grenaches are almost hundred years old, Mourvèdres more than 60 years old and Syrahs are 45 years old in average.
There's a spicy, green peppercorn edge to the Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. It's medium to full-bodied, with svelte, supple tannins and plenty of plummy fruit that exhibits more savory notes and spice on the long finish.
Review:
"The deep black-cherry and ripe-blackberry fruit, plus the full, soft body push this to the edge of sweetness on the palate. However, the gentle dry tannins at the velvety finish just keep it on track. A style that now seems a bit dated, but plenty of wine drinkers love this. Drink now."
- James Suckling (March 2022), 90 pts
Michel Thomas Sancerre Blanc Silex is 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
Intensely aromatic and concentrated Sauvignon from the Silex soils, this is a wine of great concentration and excellent balance. Aromas of fresh herbs, with flavors of citrus, ripe gooseberry, apple and a hint of gunflint. A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
The special bottling "Silex" is limited each year to between 400-500 cases. They grow grapes on three soil types: 40% Terre Blanche-Argilo-Calcaire, 40% Caillottes-calcaire, 20% Le Roc-Silex. This wine come from the hardest stone soil on the vineyard giving it pleasant notes of fruit and a very dry flavor: This wine is bottled using traditional methods without filtration, allowing for a authentic and natural taste to the wine.
A delicious apéritif and the classic match for goat cheese or asparagus.
Vinsacro Rioja Blanco is made from 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viura.
Aged 7 months in oak barrels of 225 liters
The grapes come from vineyards located in Grávalos, on the southern slopes side of Mount Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude of between 700 and 800 meters. A very high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little graduation, with very fine and elegant aromas.
Bright straw yellow color, intense aromas and elegance with outstanding floral and fruity notes. After some time in glass balsamic and spicy aromas with toasty notes rise, due to aging in oak and bottle maturation. Very cool and structured with an unusual power for a white with a variety of flavors ranging from citrus to balsamic. A white wine that is full of surprises and capable of taking on many years in the cellar.
Vinsacro white has a long aging potential and presumably will have a positive development for 20 years.
The Chardonnay grape is harvested during the second or third week of October. The Viura grape in the first two weeks of October.
The collection of the grapes is done manually.
The selected must will go through the fermentation in American oak barrels of 225 liters with medium toast, remaining in the barrel with its lees for seven months before being removed with a daily battonage, daily at first and then more sparingly.
Pairs great with roast lamb, grilled vegetables.
Vinsacro Rioja Blanco is made from 60% Chardonnay, 40% Viura.
Aged 7 months in oak barrels of 225 liters
The grapes come from vineyards located in Grávalos, on the southern slopes side of Mount Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude of between 700 and 800 meters. A very high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little graduation, with very fine and elegant aromas.
Bright straw yellow color, intense aromas and elegance with outstanding floral and fruity notes. After some time in glass balsamic and spicy aromas with toasty notes rise, due to aging in oak and bottle maturation. Very cool and structured with an unusual power for a white with a variety of flavors ranging from citrus to balsamic. A white wine that is full of surprises and capable of taking on many years in the cellar.
Vinsacro white has a long aging potential and presumably will have a positive development for 20 years.
The Chardonnay grape is harvested during the second or third week of October. The Viura grape in the first two weeks of October.
The collection of the grapes is done manually.
The selected must will go through the fermentation in American oak barrels of 225 liters with medium toast, remaining in the barrel with its lees for seven months before being removed with a daily battonage, daily at first and then more sparingly.
Pairs great with roast lamb, grilled vegetables.
La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 is made from 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano
The 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Tinto offers great aromatic complexity, with notes of wild strawberry, red cherry, plum, blackberry and cranberry combined with aromas of tobacco, brioche, ground coffee, caramel, cedar and cinnamon blossom. The alcohol and acidity are elegantly balanced on the palate and its polished, gentle tannins and freshness provide a smooth and refined mouthfeel. Fine, delicate and very long aftertaste, that will continue to be rounded with time in the bottle, making this new Gran Reserva 904 a wine with great cellaring potential.
Especially recommended with all kinds of meat and stews, seasoned fish and desserts with chocolate or red fruit toppings. Perfect as an after-dinner drink.
Review:
A perfumed nose of plums, mulberries, mushrooms, caramel, sweet tobacco and sweet spices. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and supple with a creamy texture. Delicate and precise with a long, polished finish.
- James Suckling 97 Points
J. Christopher Appassionata Fortissimo Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Inspired by the three movements of Beethoven’s “Appassionata” Piano Sonata, there are three Appassionata Pinot Noirs, released at different tempos.
The finale of the Appassionata Pinot Sonata is Fortissimo (dynamically forceful). Selected for ultimate expressivity and longevity, it is not released until 10 years after the vintage. This is the epitome of expressive excellence that we are seeking in Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – a wine that combines brooding intensity with lilting grace and can stand alongside the classic wines of the world. The 2012 Fortissimo is muscular and full-bodied, with a deep color and seamless structure. In this phase of maturation, tertiary aromas begin to show a profound complexity and subtle earthiness that only develops with bottle age and cannot be accelerated
Review:
Loosen Bros. and J. Christopher Wines just released the Fortissimo and it is showing great acidity and fine-grained tannins. Its aromas and flavors of sweet red cherries, roasted pork shoulder and orange-pekoe tea are alive and kicking. Enjoy 2023–2032.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Burgo Viejo Rioja Blanco Organic is made from 60% Viura and 40% Trempranillo Blanco
No Oak. Aged 3 months on the lees with frequent batonnage
Pale yellow color with green tones. Fresh and intense flavors of white fruits, peach, apple and some citrus notes.
Full-bodied mouth with nice balance of volume and length.
Vineyards are located in Alfaro.
Manual harvest in 8 kilograms baskets.
100% destemmed.
Light pressing of the grapes.
Fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks.
No Malolactic fermentation.
Aged 3 months on the lees with frequent batonnage. (stirring of the lees)
Pairs with seafood, pasta and rice dishes, smooth cheeses.
Burgo Viejo Rioja Blanco Organic is made from 60% Viura and 40% Trempranillo Blanco
No Oak. Aged 3 months on the lees with frequent batonnage
Pale yellow color with green tones. Fresh and intense flavors of white fruits, peach, apple and some citrus notes.
Full-bodied mouth with nice balance of volume and length.
Vineyards are located in Alfaro.
Manual harvest in 8 kilograms baskets.
100% destemmed.
Light pressing of the grapes.
Fermentation at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks.
No Malolactic fermentation.
Aged 3 months on the lees with frequent batonnage. (stirring of the lees)
Pairs with seafood, pasta and rice dishes, smooth cheeses.
Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux Grand Cru is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Domaine Jean Grivot is among the great names in Burgundian wine. Étienne Grivot and his wife Marielle took over from Étienne’s father Jean Grivot in 1987. The vineyards are densely planted and farmed organically “sans certification” while the aim in the cellar is for balance and clear expression of terroir.
Jean Grivot’s 15.5 hectares spread across 22 appellations with vineyards in the communes of Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Besides the three grand crus, there are 8 premier crus including the much lauded Les Beaux Monts and Suchots in Vosne-Romanée. The grapes are completely de-stemmed and fermentation is spontaneous.
About the Vineyard:
Echézeaux grand cru is a large vineyard of 38 hectares divided into 11 individual climats. Grivot’s parcel is in the climat of Les Cruots and lies at the southern end of Echézeaux near the premier cru of Les Suchots. A good Echézeaux should have rich fruit, considerable earthiness, and be very complete on the palate.
Tasting Notes:
The wine shows aromas and flavors of red berries, herbs, and purple flowers. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and medium weight with bright acidity and fine tannins. Aging in 40-70% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla, toast, and baking spices.
Food Pairing:
Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.
Review:
A very elegant expression of Echezeaux, with a velvety black plum and rose petal fruit. There is a lovely freshness and so much finesse that the tannin and structure might surprise you at the end. This has the substance to age for decades. Produced from a 0.84ha parcel in Cruots next to Comte Liger-Belair. The vines were planted in 1954 and the destemmed fruit was gently fermented.
This is pure, racy and enticing, hosting aromas and flavors of black currant, blackberry, violet and iron. This is about finesse, grace and precision balance, with saturated fruit flavors persisting on the superlong aftertaste. Needs a decade in the cellar.
-Wine Spectator 97 Points
Belle Glos Eulenoch Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Ruby red with aromas of ripe cherry and juicy blackberry with hints of cocoa. Rich and opulent offering flavors of bakers chocolate, blackberry, and sweet pipe tobacco. Well rounded with supple, refined tannins and a mouthwatering, long finish.
Review:
Brimming with boysenberry, lavender, and black tea, this expressive, well-structured Pinot Noir made with freerun juice aged in (60% new French oak for nine months is equal parts juicy, dense, energetic, and glossy. Sweet tobacco, vanilla wafer, and pomegranate align with supple tannins. Delicious.
-Tasting Panel 96 Points