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Calma

Calma

Calma is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodegas Don Sancho Londoño in the Rioja Alta subzone of the Rioja DOCa. ‘Calma’ means Calm, Peace, and Tranquility. This wine, which contains 10% Graciano, communicates the texture, spice and structure of this distinct subzone in Rioja. In the words of the emerging young winemaker David Sampedro "the goal of Calma is to show the depth and structure of this great geography.” Calma is a blend of grapes from three vineyards: Arca, Valdona and Miriametro. Josh Raynolds from Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar feels “Calma is a serious wine for the money… In fact, this might be too much for most buyers at this price point.” David improves the quality of his wines by doing better work in his vineyards. He explains, “If you want to make better wine, harvest better grapes.” David’s identity can be appreciated by understanding his total commitment to the Graciano grape. In Spain, David is best known as “el Hombre del Graciano,” or the Graciano man! A profound passion for Graciano led David to rediscover and recuperate many abandoned Graciano vineyards from local growers. Rioja producers have slowly come around to David’s viewpoint and recognized the historic importance and future potential of Graciano.

What makes this wine unique?

Low production wine made from estate-owned, organically grown grapes. The wine contains 10% Graciano, allowing the wine to age for many years. The grapes come from three vineyards within the Rioja Alta subzone. Calma communicates the spice, structure and silky texture of Rioja Alta.

Grape:

90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano.

Pairing Suggestions:

With so much spicy, peppery, red fruit character, this wine is a natural for olive bread and charcuterie, especially fattier meats like speck, prosciutto, black forest ham, and at the top of the list, jamon iberico. Tapenade, chumus, aged hard cheeses and sausage with fennel and similar casual bites will pair well with Calma, and the wine also has all the structure and “cut” you’d want for a more weighty main course, like roasted prime rib or boeuf bourgignon.

Vinification and ageing:

The wine is made using 15% whole cluster maceration, and 85% of the bunches are de-stemmed and crushed. The must is macerated for 7 days at cool temperatures. Fermentation in open-top stainless steel tanks takes 15 days at 84ºF to extract more flavor and tannin, followed by a post-fermentation, extended maceration for 7 days. The goal with these vinification methods is to make a wine of longevity. The wine is aged for 12-14 months in oak barrels, 90% French and 10% American.

Production:

3,700 cases are made; 1,800 for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

The winery is in the town of Hormilla, within Rioja Alta (Zone 3). The vineyards are located in Briones and Arezana, two towns with distinct terroirs sited at approximately 568 meters (1,865 ft.) elevation. Briones has soils composed of thin red clay and sandy limestone, with small particles of thin clay. These soils find expression in the wine as ripe, structured, yet silky tannins. In Arenzana, the soils are sandy with alluvial sediment, which gives the wine volume and expressive aromas. For climate, the average temperature from April-October is 61.5ºF with 18.3 inches of yearly rainfall. The moderately warm days and cool nights of this Continental Atlantic climate forces the grapes to ripen slowly, optimal conditions that produce wines that show brighter, more expressive aromas and more profound, complex fruit flavors.

Tasting notes:

Calma reveals Bright violet, black cherry scents and a kick of cracked pepper. Tightly wound at first, then opens to offer chewy dark fruit flavors and a touch of mocha. Dusty tannins add grip to the finish, which leaves cassis and bitter cherry notes behind.

Calma has an inky, ruby color and exhibits deep brooding aromas of cherry compote, cassis, fresh blood and leather. Chewy, youthfully backward dark fruit flavors slowly unfold, picking up more sweetness and an exotic floral quality. A serious wine for the money, with good finishing grip and a lingering note of bitter cherry skin. In fact, this might be too much for most buyers at this price point.

Alcohol Content:

13.5%

UPC Code:

810411010280