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El Brozal
El Brozal
El Brozal is a single vineyard wine made in small quantities by David Sampedro in the town of El Villar, within the Rioja Alavesa subzone of the Rioja DOCa region. This wine is a rarity, one of a few single vineyard wines from Rioja Alavesa, Rioja as a whole, or any wine region in Spain. As with the finest red wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux or Piedmont, El Brozal bears the distinct and unmistakable stamp of the terruño (terroir) from which it comes. With great clarity and precision, it sings the music of its specific birthplace. With accent notes of baking spices and crushed black pepper, El Brozal shows structure and intense silky fruit that make it one of Rioja’s jewels, a wine that speaks a sense of place. El Brozal is a joint project of Michael Quinlan, Alberto Orte, Patrick Mata and David Sampedro, an emerging young wine grower and winemaker with great talent, passion and a special affinity for old vineyards and the Graciano grape. Planted in the 1930s, the small 1.3-hectare (3.2 acre) vineyard is farmed biodynamically and imposes a limit on yearly production of 700-900 6-pack cases. This great vineyard has a history that dates back to Roman times.
What makes this wine unique?
A small production, single vineyard wine made in the town of El Villar, located in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. The vineyard is tended using biodynamic farming. 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) of land produce under 1,000 6-packs a year. Planted in the 1930s, this vineyard is known for producing grapes of high quality every year.
Rating history:
2009 92RP; 2008 92RP&IWCGrape:
A field blend of 80% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 10% Garnacha. The Brozal vineyard is 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) in size, with 5,800 vines that were planted in 1932 and 1938. This vineyard is biodynamically farmed.
Pairing Suggestions:
Typical of the best Riojas that show a classical balance of rich aromatic density and plush fruit on the palate, there aren’t many foods, casual or haute cuisine, that this wine won’t compliment well. At the top of the list are roast suckling pig, grilled lamb skewers and grilled grass-fed beefsteak.
Vinification and ageing:
Fermentation and maceration is carried out in open-top dodecahedron shaped tanks custom made by winemaker David Sampedro. Half of the tank is made of oak; the other half is stainless steel. There are fifteen days of pre-fermentation “cold soak” maceration to enhance the wine’s fresh fruit aromas and deep colors, and fifteen days fermentation. Fermentation is carried out using the vineyard’s own indigenous yeasts. After fermentation, the skins are pressed and the wine is aged for ten months in French oak barrels, of which 25% are 400-liter barrels, 50% are new 228-liter barrels and 25% two-year-old 228-liter barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel and the wine is normally bottled in September.
Production:
700 6-pack cases are produced; 350 for the U.S.
Location, Soil, Climate:
The vineyard is located in Zone 3, in the region of Rioja, just southeast of the village of El Villar, in the subzone of Rioja Alavesa. The Brozal vineyard covers just 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) of some 5,800 vines, planted in 1932 and 1938. The vineyard is biodynamically farmed. The soils are reddish powdery sand on the surface, with limestone subsoil under a big layer of stones in the middle. The climate of the area has an average temperature from April-October of 61ºF with 24.4 inches of yearly rainfall. The moderate warm days and cool nights of this Continental Atlantic climate forces the grapes to ripen slowly, resulting in wines that are fresh, aromatic and with expressive fruit flavors.
Tasting notes:
El Brozal exhibits a deep garnet crimson color and offers up high-pitched aromas of damp earth, mineral, espresso, spice box, black cherry and blackberry. In the mouth, the wine shows layers of fruit, generously juicy, succulent and tangy. Overall, this “chewy” wine has excellent concentration, faultless balance, and the structure to evolve for at least 5 years.
Alcohol Content:
14.0%
UPC Code:
810411010297
