The new vintage of Tarón Cepas Centenarias 2019, one of our most special wines, is now on the market. A limited edition of 3000 bottles full of power, elegance and complexity that capture the soul of our centenary vineyards. With this wine, we seek to pay tribute to those who preceded us in the cultivation of vines in Territorio Tarón: our great-grandparents and grandparents, who were already involved in viticulture and who have passed on to us a way of doing things that we want to capture in our wines.

Their grapes come from very special vineyards, old and not very productive. The reality is that it is difficult to work them: conventional machinery does not enter their narrow streets and they have low yields, but in exchange, they give us grapes of sublime quality. Since its first vintage, in the 2010 harvest, Tarón Cepas Centenarias has given us one joy after another, with a good number of prizes and awards behind it.

The latest vintage that we are now presenting to the market is the 2019 vintage. Its grapes come from a centenary vineyard dating back to 1915 located in Cuzcurrita de Río Tirón, in Rioja Alta, specifically in the El Monte area, at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level. These vineyards have a yield of 3,000 kilos per hectare and, like all centenary vineyards, have a very important accumulation of wood, where the plant stores all the reserves to produce grapes of excellent quality and unique personality year after year.

The grapes are harvested by hand in boxes of 15 kilograms. They are carefully taken to the winery, where a selection table eliminates those grapes or parts of the bunch that do not give the right profile for its elaboration. The grapes are specially selected to form part of Tarón Cepas Centenarias. They come from small bunches, with loose berries and light weight. In this way, there is a better relationship between the skin and the pulp, and a more concentrated wine is obtained.

In its production, priority is given to respecting the fruit as much as possible. It is cold macerated for the first few days and during fermentation it is pumped over daily. At the end of alcoholic fermentation, the wine is transferred to new French oak barrels where it remains for 18 months. For the final composition, the wine is tasted barrel by barrel. When it is ready, it is bottled and rests in a bottle at a controlled temperature and humidity for at least 18 months before being released onto the market.

The oenologist, Laura Manzanos, comments in her tasting note: “In view of its reddish colour with violet tones and high robe, it is very intense on the nose, with well-integrated wood that denotes its high quality. Very intense on the nose, where you can appreciate the well-integrated wood that denotes its high quality. Fruity sensations dominate with hints of red fruits and small wild berries. On the palate, we find a wine with a very good structure and acidity, fresh, and with a present and round tannin, very characteristic of the 2019 vintage. The finish is very long. It has ageing potential and a persistent, ample and elegant aftertaste”.

A perfect wine to drink at around 16º-18º, which combines well with red meats, lamb and all kinds of game dishes.