Abel Mendoza "Jarrarte" Tempranillo 2020 Rioja - Spain

92 Points Luis Guttierrez Robert Park Wine Advocate

"I love the floral, perfumed and expressive nose of the 2019 Jarrarte Maceración Carbónica, which seems to transcend the process that tends to mark wines with predictable aromas, showing a lot more serious and nuanced. It was produced following the tradition of fermenting full clusters in open concrete pools. The wine is juicy and has a velvety palate with great purity of flavors and a dry and serious, somewhat chalky finish. 30,000 bottles produced. It was bottled unoaked in August 2020."

“Jarrarte” is the name of an area next to the river that flows through San Vicente de la Sonsierra in Rioja. The area once belonged to the kingdom of Navarre, and the word has roots in the Basque language. “Arte” (between) and “Jarra” (stones). This is an homage to the soils of the region which are very stony and alluvial.

• 100% Tempranillo
• Whole clusters of Tempranillo grapes are placed into concrete tanks with an open top. The temperature is allowed to rise and fermentation begins naturally inside the grapes before the skins are broken. The fruit is then foot stomped, and the stems serve as canals for the free-run juice, known as “vino corazón” or “heart wine” to flow down.
• This free-run juice is then placed in a closed concrete tank where it continues fermentation. Once alcoholic fermentation has finished, malolactic fermentation kicks in (spontaneous - as they keep the temperature at around 18°C - 20°C).