Alfar Vendimia Seleccionada DOCa Rioja Bodegas Valdelacierva, 2017

A medium to full bodied wine with lots of potential for cellaring. Bodegas Valdelacierva is located in the heart of the Rioja Alta. It has 200 hectares of vineyards in small plots ranging between 25 and 130 years old. Tempranillo for Alfar Vendimia Seleccionada 2017 was grown at over 500 metres at Ollauri on 50-year-old vines. It has plummy fruits, mint and blackcurrant aromas. It is soft and juicy on the palate with ripe fruits and a long flavoursome finish. Grapes were handpicked into small boxes, de-stemmed and then macerated at 12°C for three days prior to fermentation. The malolactic fermentation was carried out in new French oak barrels over two months and the wine matured a further 10 months in these.