Rioja Reserva 2010 Finca La Emperatriz
Item Number: 20 60 177 10
Rioja Reserva 2010 Finca La Emperatriz
The Wine Advocate scored this beautfiul vintage 93 points!
About Rioja Reserva 2010 Finca La Emperatriz
At the Universal Exposition of 1878 in Paris one of the award winning wines was from a vineyard owned by the Empress of France. It was from her vineyard in Rioja which today is owned by the Hernáiz family who have named their winery for her; La Emperatriz, "The Empress". Finca La Emperatriz is located in the northwestern end of the Rioja DO, at 1700 above sea level in one of the highest plateaus in the Rioja Alta. The vineyard has impressive terroir with a layer of large white pebbles to a depth of almost 16 inches, covering a loose, sandy sub-soil. This is an ideal soil to grow vines because it has excellent drainage so the roots go deep. The vines here are very old, averaging 60 years of age and have extremely low yields. These concentrated, old-vine grapes are given a cold soak for 2 days in stainless steel, followed by fermentation at a controlled temperature with a gentle pumpover to extract color and soft tannins. The wine is then aged in 70% American and 30% French oak barrels. Extended aging in bottle gives it the silky, supple character of a Reserva. The Wine Advocate scored this 93 points and said "I think the 2010 Finca la Emperatriz Reserva could summarize what a textbook Rioja Reserva should be, combining the best of the traditional and modern styles. It's mostly Tempranillo with 3% Garnacha, 2% Viura (white) and 1% Graciano fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in oak barrels (mostly American) for 23 months. It has the spicy, smoky notes with bright red fruit hinting on blood oranges and signs of developing more complexity and nuances. The medium-bodied palate features grainy tannins, good freshness and length. I see that I liked the 2008, and I think this continues the same line, perhaps fine-tuning the élevage could take this wine a step higher. Keep it up!
Wine Details
- Alcohol % 14.0%
- Bottle Size 750 ml
- Wine Type Red
- Country Spain
- Region Rioja
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