Rioja Reserva 2018 – Bodegas LAN

The grapes to produce the Rioja Reserva Bodegas LAN were destemmed and gently crushed. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks at 28-30°C and lasted for around three weeks, during this time regular pump overs ensured optimum extraction of colour and flavour. Following fermentation, the wine was transferred to hybrid French and American oak barrels (American oak staves with French oak heads) where it underwent malolactic fermentation and 18 months ageing. After bottling, the wine was aged for a further 20 months in the Bodegas LAN cellars before release.

The Tempranillo and Mazuelo grapes are sourced from selected vineyards within the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa subzones from vines with an average age of 30-40 years. These vines produce lower yields of grapes with great concentration of flavour, which can stand up to extended periods of ageing in oak. The Sierra Cantabria mountains shelter the vineyards from the worst of the Atlantic weather systems and the vines thrive on a combination of calcareous and clay soils.

Founded in 1972, Bodegas LAN is situated in the heart of Rioja Alta. Though a relatively young Rioja house, Bodegas LAN has gained a reputation for the excellent quality of its wines. This quality is derived from the grapes they work with, grown in their spectacular Viña Lanciano vineyard and other prime vineyard sites in Rioja Alta and Alavesa, and from winemaker María Barúa’s great attention to detail in the winery. Viña Lanciano is one of largest and most striking single-vineyard sites in Rioja Alta, encircled by a meander of the Ebro river. The vineyard’s poor, stony soils and old vines, up to 60 years of age, are both conducive to low yields of very concentrated fruit. The site is divided into 24 plots of different soils and aspects and these are matched to the different grape varieties: Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo.