Arzuaga Laderas del Norte 2021

Arzuaga Laderas del Norte, Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2021

Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), organic, single vineyard. Hand-picked, destemmed grapes, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels.

Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, established by Florentino Arzuaga in the early 1990s, is based in the town of Quintanilla de Onésimo, Valladolid, in Castilla y Leon, north-western Spain and is a neighbour to the famous Vega Sicilia vineyards.

"Laderas del Norte" uses organically grown grapes picked on the Valdesardon estate belonging to the Arzuaga Navarro family. This is the most westerly vineyard in the DO Ribera del Duero at an altitude of 800 m (2,600 ft), in the municipality of Olivares de Duero. The chalky-clay, sloping land has a great effect on the characteristics of this wine.

Colour: Medium high intensity, cherry red colour predominates with purple flashes.

Nose: Red fruits, predominately raspberry and cherry, with high aromatic intensity, combine with balsamic tones, coffee and roasted notes typical of its stay in barrel. The fruit still has full prominence.

Palate: A fresh and elegant wine, with an easy and balanced entry into the mouth leaving sensations of meatiness and volume. Slightly sweet and toasted notes add a pleasantly balanced after taste where the initial fruity tones can still be enjoyed.

Critic's Tasting Note:

"Inky dark purple colour and hue. Floral violet notes with crushed dark berries, a mild hint of oak and fine spices. Medium weight, a youthful and fresh texture with primary fruit notes a mild oak derived spiciness, fresh backbone and rather long supple finish."

89/100 points, Andreas Larsson, TASTED, December 2022

Food Pairing: Ideal companion for red meat, white meat, and game either roasted or in sauce. Blue fish and soft cheeses.