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Cueva de Lobos Rioja Alpha

Rioja, Spain
Garnacha
Against the advice of many, winemaker Javier planted garnacha grapes at an altitude of 700 meters. With only 1198 bottles, the yield was extremely low, but the wine was so stunning that Javier was named “Young Winemaker of the Year”.

€59.99

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Product number: CE295X
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About the winemaker

"I am a fifth generation winemaker and made my first wine at the age of seventeen. In 2017 I started my own project. This project is completely different from the classic bodegas like my family's. My goal is to create unique, authentic and making innovative wines from old quality vineyards, including my Alpha, when I got a small vineyard of 0.6 hectares at extreme altitude, I immediately wanted to plant garnacha grapes, despite many saying that they would not ripen at such an altitude But the result turned out to be a completely unique interpretation of this famous grape."

Javier san pedro ortega

93
93/100 Robert Parker
"I find more freshness and better balance in the 2020 Cueva de Lobos Alpha compared with the 2019 I tasted next to it. But the house style is always for ripe and powerful wines, and this 2020 is 15% alcohol with a pH of 3.3, which means good freshness and balance in an XL way.
93
93/100 Tim Aitkin
"The vineyard that supplies this Laguardia Garnacha is both young and high, as it was planted at an extreme 720 metres as recently as 2015. Aged in new 500-litre barrels, it's herbal and slightly ferrous, with cranberry, redcurrant and wild strawberry fruit framed by attractive oak. Very promising."
Product information
Winemaker Javier San Pedro Ortega
Wine estate Bodegas Javier San Pedro Ortega
Grape garnacha
Year 2020
Origin Rioja, Spain
Harvest per hectare 45 hl/ha
Grapevines 8 years old
Soil chalk, clay
Alcohol percentage 15,5%
Vine culture sustainable
   
Tasting profile smooth (smooth, round red)
Tastes like blueberries, fresh herbs, mineral, wild strawberries
Pair with blue cheese, buikspek, rib eye, turbot
Rioja, Spain
The Rioja is divided into three different regions: Baja, Alta and Alavesa. Rioja Alavesa is the smallest sub-region of the three. It is located between the river Ebro and the imposing rock mass of the Sierra Cantabria. The area is known, among other things, for the settlement of La Hoya, which dates back to 1500 BC. Winemaker Javier got a small vineyard here at an altitude of 120 meters at the foot of the mountains. This vineyard was previously planted with grain because it was thought that the soil combined with the altitude made it unsuitable as a wine. The result may not be the "standard" Rioja, but rather a real terroir wine. The height gives the wine a lot of freshness, while the calcareous soil can also be tasted in the wine. This unique vineyard shows the garnacha grape from its purest, fruitiest side.
Reviews
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