Region: Rioja, Spain

Varietal: 100% Tempranillo

Tasting notes: Blackberry, tar and violet aromas. Wet earth, too. Medium to full body with firm, racy tannins and a solid finish. A structured and very classic Rioja. Drink or hold.

Producer: The Ramirez de la Piscina family of San Vicente have been farming grapes in this historic village since the 13th century. Their family name is shared with the hermitage of Santa María de la Piscina, a 12th century Romanesque hermitage, a historic landmark site that is engraved with the Ramirez family crest, speaking to the family's long history in Rioja. Today, they produce small quantities of extremely classical Rioja wines from estate and long-term contracted vineyards in San Vicente and Abalos, two of the most important villages in the Sonsierra Riojana, a geographic "triangle" of quality between San Vicente, Abalos, and Labastida.

Vineyard and Winemaking: Estate owned and vineyards leased on long term contracts in the villages of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Abalos, sandwiched between the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria mountain range and the Ebro River. Sustainable dry farmed viticulture. Vineyards trained as spur-pruned goblet vines as well as high density trellises. Manual work and harvest, with no mechanization whatsoever. Calcareous clay soils that are typical to the Sonsierra Riojana. Limestone rich clay soils that are sandwiched between large slabs of lime-sandstone mother rock. 14 months in American and French oak barrels in underground cellars. Before bottling, the wine settles for 5 months in stainless steel. Before releasing to the market, the wine is aged in bottle for at least eight months.