Laderas de Ostatu 2018
Description
A daring vineyard. In the 1960s, when nobody considered the idea of planting vines above our village, on the slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria, our grandfather fell in love with this natural shelter. He decided to plant in poor, thin soil, with superficial calcareous rock. The most challenging area was reserved for Viura, leaving the cooler terrain for Tempranillo.
With Laderas, we wanted to introduce the concept of terroir into our wines, giving greater prominence to the vineyard than to winemaking and aging. That's why it was the first wine where we began to use large format barrels (500 liters), even if it meant losing the "Crianza" classification from the Regulatory Council.
This wine retains the limestone character of the soil, with great delicacy provided by the kilograms of white grapes, refining it and giving it greater elegance.
Vintage
Manual harvest in 15 kg boxes on October 17th.
- Harvest: 2018
- Harvest Rating: good
This vintage stands out for its fluidity and freshness, being, for us, one of the most remarkable of the decade. The year enjoyed favorable climatic conditions, resulting in a bountiful harvest. The resulting wines are less concentrated due to the larger size of the grapes, but they exhibit exceptional tannin maturity, which brings great elegance thanks to the balance between acidity and ripeness.
- Bottling Date: April 2020
- Production: 4,505 bottles
- Market Release: September 2023
Viticulture
Predominantly limestone soil with some clay presence. The subsurface structure consists of layers of white rock of calcium carbonate.
Located in a small chapel protected by a hill that surrounds it at the foot of the mountain range with a north-south slope orientation. The vineyard is surrounded by a grove of holm oaks, oaks, junipers, thyme, and lavender.
- 95% Tempranillo, 5% Viura
- El Portillo vineyard, planted in 1968
- Located at 620m altitude
- Bush pruning
Winemaking
Vineyard selection, only the best grapes make it to the winery. Perfect destemming to keep the berry intact, as if hand-shucked.
Pre-fermentation cold maceration and alcoholic fermentation in a small oak tank for 14 days at a maximum temperature of 25°C. Gentle pump-overs and punching down before reaching mid-fermentation.
Malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels from six renowned cooperages (Taransaud, Sylvain, Saint Martin, Daranjou, Francois Freres, Seguin Moreau), with 6 barrels of 500 liters and 4 barrels of 225 liters. Subsequent aging in barrel for 14 months. The wine has not undergone any stabilization processes.
Tasting Notes
This wine presents an intense cherry red color with violet hues.
On the nose, aromas of ripe red and black fruits are perceived, such as cherries, red and black plums, accompanied by a subtle floral touch and wild notes. In the background, there is a balsamic and spicy depth, with a frank varietal expression of Tempranillo.
On the palate, it is flavorful, with a generous presence of fruit, a refreshing sensation, and a line of acidity that runs longitudinally across the palate. It has body and structure, with soft and sweet tannins that amplify the sensation of unctuousness.
The finish reveals a mineral note that reflects the terroir's character. This wine has excellent projection and a long life ahead.
