The legendary Remelluri estate encompasses such a tome of history, and its origins are virtually impossible to pin down. With archeological footprints of Romans, Visigoths and Moors, this site is a history lover's dream. An ancient cemetery in the estate’s epicenter dates from the tenth century and proves that a village existed at least that far back. A remarkable ancient wine press, carved into a massive rock, dates from the fourteenth century and is possibly one of the oldest remains of Rioja’s medieval winemaking history. It was during this period that Hieronymite monks tended the estate and crafted wine until their departure in the 1400’s. Their shrine on the property was maintained by hermits as a place of worship well into the 1800’s. Following the political upheaval of two civil wars, the estate changed hands and was finally acquired intact – quite a feat – in 1967 by Jamie Rodriguez Salis and Amaya Hernandorena. Today, Granja de Nuestra Señora de Remelluri is run by Jamie’s son and daughter, Telmo and Amaya. The estate is comprised of 105 cultivated hectares and represents the first single-vineyard Rioja property that was used to craft wines in the classic Medoc-Bordeaux method.
Nestled below the Sierra Cantabria Mountain range at an altitude of 600 meters, this wine is derived from ancient limestone, sandstone and loam terraces that boast calcareous and clay soil, the wine delivers significant minerality in the glass. The traditional and organic viticulture undergoes only biodynamic treatments and is currently in the process of full biodynamic conversion. Harvest is done manually and grapes are sorted in the vineyard and on the table. This 2009 Rioja Reserva is a blend of around 90% Tempranillo with Garnacha, Graciano, Viura and Malvasia. Fermentation is done with only native yeasts then the wine is aged for twenty-two months in barrels of various ages and size then is bottled unfiltered. A Rioja of unparalleled weight, texture and density, this wine is a lush beauty that is simply teeming with life.
The 2009 Rioja Reserva displays a dark, opaque garnet red core with orange and amber reflections on the rim. The intense and fruit-forward nose leaps from the glass with aromas of ripe, slightly dried red and black plums, strawberry, fig and black cherry over an enchanting blend of dried herbs, licorice root, sandalwood oil, dried mushroom, dried tobacco leaf, dried clay, a hint of dill, sawdust, vanilla bean and a touch of toasted oak from French and American barrel age. The full-bodied palate lends a sweetness to the fruit and mouth coating texture wrapped around flavors that confirm the nose and heightened by moderate acidity and ample alcohol. This wine performs at its best out of a Bordeaux stem at cellar temperature. Otherwise, the alcohol dominates the generous aromatics. Decant for thirty minutes and let the wine warm ever so slightly in the glass then pair with
Catalan braised pork shoulder with dried fruits.
