Rioja Ondarre Reserva 2018 – Bodegas Ondarre (1,5L)

Each grape of Rioja Ondarre Reserva Bodegas Ondarre variety was fermented separately in temperature controlled vats at 28 to 30°C, which lasted for between 16 to 18 days. The wine was blended and then aged for 16 months in American and French oak Bordeaux type casks imparting subtle oak complexity. During the maturation Rioja Ondarre Reserva Bodegas Ondarre was racked four times, in order to gently extract phenolic compounds by oxygenating the wine. This produced a softer wine which exhibits great varietal fruit character.

The vineyards are situated on Rioja Valley’s northern hills on south-facing slopes, at an altitude of 550 metres above sea level. The vines, which have an average age of 25 years, are planted in uneven terrain due to several streams that run down the mountains that mark the northern border of Rioja. The soils are generally poor in nutrients and very shallow, just 30 to 35 centimetres in depth, which encourage the vines to send their roots deeper in search of nutrients and water. The soils vary from plot to plot, but there is a prevalence of clay based soils with high iron and chalk content. The clay content retains water, which nourishes the vines during the warm summers and the iron content is an essential nutrient for photosynthesis.