Bodegas Olarra is a top tier winery founded in 1973 in Logroño, within the highly regarded sub-area of Rioja Alta. It is one of a small group of ambitious wineries founded in the 1970's when trade opportunities for Rioja wine were expanding. Olarra is known for the unique beauty of its estate which features Y-shaped ground plan and has 111 hexagonal domes. Because of this architectural splendor, Bodegas Olarra is commonly referred to as the Cathedral of Rioja. The winery carefully merges cutting edge technologies with the traditional winemaking methods and creates wines with the highest parameters of quality.
This Cerro Anon is their top echelon wine. Grapes are sourced from their vineyards located primarily in Rioja Alta, and Rioja Alavesa. Vines in these vineyards average over 30 years of age. Fermentation and maceration lasted for a total of 19 days and were performed in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Later the wine was racked into new Allier oak casks where the malolactic fermentation took place, followed by a stay on lees for a little over two months, with regular batonnage. By the end of that winter, the wine was already being racked into new oak barrels, where it remained for a further six months. After these, the rest of the oak ageing up to the total 27 months was done in different barrels, Allier and Missouri, all with medium toast, and with different ages spanning from brand new to 5 years. The final blend is 80% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo, 5% Garnacha and 5% Graciano.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine scored this 91 points saying “This is a fully oaked gran reserva with gritty aromas of lemony wood resin, milk chocolate and tarry grit. A wide palate is more big than precise, while this tastes of gamy berry, oak spice and cardamom. A minty but light oak character on the finish suggests tobacco and complexity. Best from 2022 on.”