Cerro Añón Gran Reserva 2011

Description

This wine shows a shiny dark garnet colour To the nose, at the time of release, blackberry and strawberry aromas unfold wrapped up with spice and cedarwood notes. Over time, bouquet has developed aromas of prunes and smokiness. Elegance is the first term that comes to mind when considering mouthfeel, with a pleasantly long finish.

Awards

91 pts Wine & Spirits Magazine

91 pts Decanter Points

91 pts Wine Enthusiast Points

93 pts Tim Atkin

Gold International Wine Challenge (IWC)

Gold Concours Mondial de Bruxelles

Silver International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC)

Vinification

Fermentation and maceration lasted for a total of 19 days and were performed in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 28ºC. Later on, the wine was racked into new Allier oak 225-litre casks where the malolactic fermentation took place, followed by a stay on lees for a little over two months, with regular batonnage.

Vineyard

Grapes from our vineyards located primarily in Rioja Alta, and in Rioja Alavesa to a lesser extent. Vines in these vineyards are all grown in the traditional way, the average age of the vines is over 30 years, and most of our vineyards are sitting on a clay-rich soil for Rioja Alta, and on limestone-clay soils in Rioja Alavesa. Approximate mix of grapes is as follows: Tempranillo 80%, Mazuelo 10%, Garnacha 5%, Graciano 5% Harvests started in late September, because the fruit showed very good phenolic and sugar ripeness levels. The hot and dry year 2011 made it possible for grapes to be harvested in an outstanding health state. Overall, 2011, although not as highly regarded as 2010 as a vintage, cannot be considered below 2010 in our estate as quality is regarded. Harvested volume was lower but health state of grapes, sugar and phenolic content were on a par with 2010’s, if not above at times.

Maturation

This wine was racked into new oak barrels in the beginning of February 2012, where it remained for a six more months. After these, the rest of the oak ageing up to the total 29 months took place in different barrels, Allier and Missouri, all with medium toast, and with different ages spanning from brand new to 5 years. After fining, the wine was bottled and stored in our bottle cellar for 43 months, before it started to be released.