Mazuelo - La Quinta Cruz - Miguel Merino Rioja
Mazuelo de la Quinta Cruz - Miguel Merino, Bourgogne stijl.
Miguel Merino Rioja, wijnmaker uit Briones maakt naast heerlijke Tempranillo Rioja Reserva's deze complexe & zachte topwijn van 100% Mazuelo druiven, hij schrijft: " One of the very few" maar ook "A crazy wine" want geen oogstjaar geeft eenzelfde wijn!
De Mazuelo wordt vaak gebruikt als blend met Tempranillo of Grenache. Slechts enkele wijnmakers in de Rioja weten deze inheems stevige druiven te "temmen" tot een mooie klassieker.
Onze notities: prachtige balans tussen het rijpe donkerrode fruit en de verfijnd aardse tonen naast wat toast en tabak afkomstig van 12 maanden houtrijping in Frans eiken vaten.
Donker fruit, braam, kers, fijne kruidigheid, laurier, iets grafiet, vanille en een puntje cederhout. Klassiek met een moderne knipoog.
Zelft vergelijkt Miguel zijn Mazuelo met een mooie Bourgogne.. dat klopt, hij heeft qua smaakprofiel iets weg van een Cotes de Nuits of Chevrey, ietsje meer pit en met net even meer concentratie.
Miguel schrijft:
One of the very few wines made from the Mazuelo grape variety in Rioja, and a wine that does not leave anyone indifferent. Intense, spiced and a bit crazy, it is incredibly distinct from year to year. Around 3450 bottles a year.
De wijngaard:
La Quinta Cruz was planted in 1986 in the Southeast slope of Calvario Hill, in Briones, very close to the Ebro River. It is a steep
vineyard of 1.2 ha. with very thin topsoil of sand and gravel, completely covered by round pebbles. All these factors prevent
Mazuelo from behaving as it is, fertile and vigorous, and allow us to make a 100% Mazuelo wine in the Atlantic-influenced Rioja
Alta region.
Oogstjaren:
2020 - Parker 94/100
2020 - Tim Atkin 98/100
2021 - Tim Atkin 98/100
Vivino: 4.1-4.2
- Druivenras:Mazuelo - Single Vineyard
- Wijnhuis: Miguel Merino - Briones
- Wijnregio: DOC Rioja
- Import: Wijnhuys Kinesis
- Houtrijping: 12maanden Frans eiken
- Inhoud: 0,75L
- Schenktemperatuur: 16-19 graden
- Productiewijze: conventioneel met veel duurzame werktechnieken.
Miguel Merino, familiebedrijf in Briones, Rioja - Vader en zoon schrijven
Since the beginning of my exporting career I have long dreamt of having my own small "bodega", where I could make a few bottles of wine of the best quality possible. Briones, in the heart of the Rioja Alta, gathered all the conditions I was looking for: old steep vineyards of Tempranillo grapes, chalky soil and a climate showing a marked Atlantic influence. Declared a town of historic and artistic merit, Briones is where we decided to site our bodega.
Twenty years ago, we restored an old 19th Century house on the outskirts of the town. On the adjoining land we built facilities for vinification, barrel and bottle ageing and planted a small experimental vineyard.
Now, as one of the smallest and youngest wineries in Spain —our first vintage was 1994— our wines are among the most prestigious in the country, and we are exporting them to over 30 markets. This encourages us to grow, not in quantity, but to constantly improve our style; how to get the best from each grape and each barrel. To continue to enjoy our wine-making.
Over de wijngaard met de Mazuelo druiven:
Mazuelo de la Quinta Cruz (1982). Mazuelo is a difficult grape, with a very long growth cycle which requires heat and time to ripe. That is why it is so unusual in Rioja Alta. However, when planted in the adequate soil and grown with care and patience it becomes a wonderful grape, able to give spicy, deep and unique wines of great colour and vibrant acidity.
