A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha from two hills to the north and south of Rioja. Tempranillo is from the Sirerra Cantabria and the Garnacha comes mainly from the north-facing vineyards of the Sierra de la Demanda. This allows them to create an intense but fresh and well-balanced wine.
Production
The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from vineyards planted in the foothills of the Cantabrian mountains, and from the lower course of the Najerilla river (near Uruñuela and Torremontalbo). The Garnacha vines are planted near the higher course of the Najerilla (near Badarán). Soil types are a combination of alluvial, sandstone-clay and ferrous-clay. The vineyards are between 60 and 80 years of age, which gives further intensity to the wine. The grapes are handpicked into 200kg crates and sorted by hand at the winery. After 3 days of pre-fermentative maceration at low temperature, the must undergoes daily remontage and delestage during temperature-controlled fermentation in cone-shaped stainless steel tanks. The fermentation uses whole berries which creates some of the floral, complex characters and silky tannin structure. This is followed by 12 months maturation in, mostly new, American oak barriques.
Gómez Cruzado Rioja Crianza 2020 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
Plum and bramble aromas with savoury, lightly spicy hints. A smooth, approachable crianza with ripe dark fruits and supple tannins. Showing tremendous balance and quality typical of the excellent 2019 vintage.
Food match
Authentic kebabs or herby lamb chops.
Info
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ABV
14.5%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 75cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
RIOJA, SPAIN
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GRAPE
TEMPRANILLO 80%, GARNACHA 20%
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FEATURES
SUSTAINABLE
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
DAVID GONZÁLEZ
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APPELLATION
DOCA RIOJA
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ALLERGEN INFO
CONTAINS SULPHITES AND NO OTHER ALLERGENS
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Meet the producer
The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day. Subsequently bought by Angel and Jesus Gomez Cruzado in 1916, and more recently by the Baños family, David González now heads up the team. He has been working with Gomez Cruzado for over 10 years, crafting wines from vineyards of old bush vines in the most elevated areas of Rioja Alta and Alavesa. He sources from almost a hundred different plots across 3 distinct regions: Alto Najerilla, Bajo Najerilla and Sierra Cantabria. Sierra Cantabria (Rioja Alta and Alavesa): Vines grow in poor, white, chalky-clay soils, on sunny slopes at the highest part of the sierra (up to 750m altitude) - where the Mediterranean and Atlantic climates meet. The area produces wines with freshness and elegance. Bajo Najerilla (Rioja Alta): in the triangle formed by the villages of Uruñuela, Cenicero and Torremontalbo, where the Najerilla river flows into the River Ebro. Tempranillo vines grown in alluvial soils at an average altitude of 500m – in a warmer, more temperate continental climate with a notable Mediterranean influence. Wines have high maturity and excellent ageing capacity. Alto Najerilla (Rioja Alta): Garnacha vines over 80 years old, planted in ferrous clay soil at around 750m altitude, on north-facing slopes near the Sierra de la Demanda. The continental climate confers strong fruitiness and marked acidity on the resulting wines.