Ontañón's red wine portfolio is based around the Tempranillo grape, with a little Garnacha (10%) blended into the Crianza. However the Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are 95% Tempranillo blended with 5% Graciano. Graciano, native to the Rioja region, is high in acidity, colour and tannin - beneficial for those wines which are destined for a more prolonged maturation.
Production
Reservas are only produced in years of exceptional quality - and from the most select vineyards. The Tempranillo is sourced from La Pasada, and the Graciano from La Montesa vineyard. After a long maceration the wine spends 12 months in 60% American and 40% French oak (both used and new), followed by 24 months in bottle.
Ontañón Rioja Reserva (magnum) 2015 (6 bottles case)
Vivino ratings
Tasting notes
Aromas of bramble fruit with spice and lightly floral notes. On the palate plum and blackberry fruit flavours combine with ample acidity, minerality and earthy notes. It has a fine structure, and supple tannins give elegance and length.
Food match
Drink this Reserva with lamb, roast pork or mushroom risotto.
Info
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ABV
14%
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CASE/BOTTLE SIZE
6 x 150cl
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REGION/COUNTRY
RIOJA, SPAIN
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GRAPE
TEMPRANILLO 95%, GRACIANO 5%
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FEATURES
SUSTAINABLE
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CLOSURE
CORK
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WINEMAKER
RUBEN PÉREZ CUEVAS
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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
Bodegas Ontañón is a 5th generation family-owned and run winery in Rioja Baja (now Rioja Oriental). Here Raquel, Rubén and Maria Pérez Cuevas continue their father Gabriel's work to develop Bodegas Ontañón into one of the most highly-regarded wineries in Rioja. Ontañón has vast swathes of vineyard in this part of Rioja. Whilst wine production in the region is typically very dependent on contracts with grape growers, the Pérez Cuevas family has seen fit to invest heavily in the purchase of its own land and vines. Its 250ha is a testament to the importance it places on controlling grape quality.
The family's vineyards sit high in the Sierra Yerga mountains in the prestigious region surrounding Quel, defying misconceptions that Rioja Baja is one of the lesser sub-regions within Rioja. Many of their vineyards are actually planted at altitudes on a par with, or above, those in Rioja Alta and Alavesa; (La Pasada is their highest vineyard at 800m above sea level, planted in 1979 it is used for Reserva and Gran Reserva wines). The hot and dry Mediterranean climate allows for consistent ripening of the grapes with little disease and this has enabled them to pursue organic production across 57 hectares of vines.