Vinedos de Paganos "El Puntido" Gran Reserva Rioja 2011
(Rioja, Spain) - [VM 93]

About the Winery:
Winemaking style is a traditional elaboration. Completely destemmed. Pre-fermentative cold maceration at 6° C. Temperature controlled fermentation in open top fermenters with selected indigenous yeast. Post-fermentative maceration for twelve days.

Transferred to 100% new Bordelaise French Oak barrels for malolactic fermentation.

The goal of El Puntido Gran Reserva is to express the mineral expression of this unique single vineyard. The single vineyard wines of Viñedos de Páganos represent the terrain that the vineyards are planted on. El Puntido Gran Reserva is the result of a selection for the fruit from the lowest yielding vines. The grapes are rigorously sorted and destemmed by hand, berry by berry. Environmental integrated agriculture cultivation, applying a viticulture respectful with the environment following the biorhythms of the plant. Exhaustive hand selection and harvest in boxes of perfectly healthy, ripe grapes.

Notes from the Winemaker:
The Eguren family produce El Puntido Gran Reserva from a selection of higher altitude, sloped, and lower yielding parcels of the El Puntido estate vineyard. The wine is produced every vintage but in significantly varying quantities depending on the conditions of the vintage. All of the wines from El Puntido display a distinctly mineral, fresh, and savory character emanating from the limestone quality in the soil. This wine displays all of the savory and developed character expected of a great Gran Reserva married with the freshness, fruit, structure, and ageability of the great Gran Reservas of yesteryear.

Location and Vineyard: Páganos-Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, El Puntido

Viticulture: Practicing organic dry farmed viticulture with certain selective biodynamic practices. Vineyards trained as spur-pruned goblet vines as well as high
density trellises. Manual work and harvest, with no mechanization whatsoever.

Winemaking: The grapes undergo rigorous double-manual sorting, both before and
after destemming. 100% of the clusters are destemmed, but not crushed. Temperature controlled fermentation in 5,000L vats (inoculated) with neutral yeasts selected and cultured from their vineyards and cellars. Maceration lasts 20-30 days. Malolactic
fermentation is spontaneous and is carried out in new barrique.

Ageing: 28 months in new French barrique in subterranean cellars. The first six
months are carried out sur lie. The wine is racked every four to six months.

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