Challenge, expression and potential.
Brand: Alenza Gran Reserva
Alcohol content: 14,5% vol
Grape variety: 100% Tempranillo
Total production: 6.086 bottles of 75cl
Winemaking: Alenza is a tradition and a heritage. Its name is the acronym of its creators, Alejandro and Esperanza, who realized their dream of producing wine the traditional way while challenging established orthodoxy.
The clayey soils containing sand and gravel, combined with the slope of our “Maricalva” plot, balance the yields and maturity of the grapes. This is a very special wine. In particular, the grapes are fermented with the stems and the aging process, carried out in American oak barrels, lasts approximately 27 months. The resulting wine is fruity and balsamic, with mineral notes and rustic tannins, very characteristic of wines made in Roa (province of Burgos).
Vineyard: Maricalva
Origin of the grapes: Coming from our own vines located in the municipalities of Roa and La Horra, at 800 meters above sea level.
Soils: Clay soils containing sand and gravel in different proportions. These characteristics, combined with the steep slope on which the plot is planted, make it possible to obtain a balance, both in terms of yield and degree of maturity, which results in a high quality wine, destined for the rank of Gran Réserva.
Climate: 2018 began with a typically cold winter in Ribera del Duero, during which temperatures dropped to 12°C below zero. This cold weather continued until early spring, and yet, despite the conditions, budburst of the vines occurred on the usual dates, at the end of April.
After a very dry 2017, a rainy period occurred at the end of winter, then it rained continuously throughout the spring, making 2018 an officially very wet year in our region.
The growth of the vine vegetation was favored by the mild temperatures and the water reserves in the soil, which made it possible to obtain significantly larger berries. As a result of this increase in the size of the berries, and despite higher than usual temperatures in September and October, the ripening process slowed down.