Viña Arana Gran Reserva

The vintage of the historic spring frost, which did not affect the quality of the vineyards selected for this wine but did result in lower yields. Early budbreak, with clusters benefiting from a dry, warm summer and beneficial September rains. The ripening was slow and even. For us, this was an Excellent vintage (97 points), producing wines with magnificent structure and great aging potential.

The basic grape variety is Tempranillo (95%) from Las Cuevas, El Palo and Las Monjas vineyards in Rodezno complemented with 5% Graciano from the Montecillo estate in Fuenmayor.

We started harvesting the Tempranillo, followed seven days later by the Graciano from Montecillo. All grapes were transported in small refrigerated boxes to preserve their integrity. After a second selection using optical sorting, alcoholic fermentation was carried out at 27ºC for 16 days, followed by natural malolactic fermentation.

In March 2018, we selected the best lots to age in our own American oak barrels with an average age of 4.5 years. The wine remained in barrel for three years, with traditional racking from barrel to barrel every six months. The final blend was bottled in January 2022.

Intense garnet color, clean and bright, with a soft cherry-red hue on the rim. On the nose, it stands out for its high aromatic intensity, offering red fruits, raspberry, blackberry and redcurrants, intertwined with balsamic and spicy notes from its long barrel aging: Lebanese cedar, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, mocha and toasted caramel. On the palate, it is very well balanced, with a pleasant acidity that enhances its elegant freshness and smooth, delicate tannins that lengthen its finish. A long aftertaste, marked by the signature freshness of Viña Arana, promising a long and elegant evolution in the bottle.

Particularly recommended with all kinds of meats, stews, seasoned fish, and desserts with chocolate couverture or red berries. Perfect as an after-dinner drink.