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Exopto

Exopto

Exopto is made by Tom Puyaubert in his cellar in the Rioja DOCa. This wine is a clear example of what’s possible when Rioja’s best terroirs and grapes are combined with Rioja’s finest traditional and modern winemaking methods by an extremely talented winemaker. The end result is a wine that can age for many decades. Exopto is a clean, modern interpretation of a traditional Rioja wine. Exopto, or ‘to desire greatly’ in Latin, is the flagship wine of this cool garage wine producer. The 60% Graciano makes this impressive cuvee a unique wine that not only shows the added complexity of flavors with ageing, it also conveys a message of purity and beauty that is associated with fine, low production "Grand Cru" Riojas. If you’re lucky enough to find this jewel, please keep in mind that only 680 cases are made for the world. Buy as much as you can and keep it in your cellar for 10-15 years before you uncork it! Exopto has quality to equal—and drinks like—wines that cost over twice as much.

What makes this wine unique?

In the manner of great Burgundies and Bordeaux, this wine blends power and finesse. Its large percentage of Graciano gives it the capability to age for 50 years. Less than 35 barrels are produced for the world! The three vineyards that make Exopto are all located within the Rioja Alta subzone.

Rating history:

2007 93RP; 2006 93IWC; 2005 92IWC

Grape:

60% Graciano, 30% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. The Graciano was planted in 1975, the Tempranillo in 1965 and the Garnacha in 1890.

Pairing Suggestions:

This is a serious, structured wine, but in addition to grilled beef steak with chimichurri sauce or braised short ribs which the wine’s heft and power will play well against, this wine’s pronounced spicy, leafy edge from the Graciano will make it a great match for dishes that feature a little fat like roast duck, roast suckling pig and chuletas, or grilled baby lamb chops.

Vinification and ageing:

The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels before six months in barrel with stirring of the lees (batonnage) and an additional eight months in barrel. The Graciano is aged in fine-grained oak to maximize oxygen contact while the Tempranillo and Garnacha are aged in medium-grained oak.

Production:

683 cases produced; 90 for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

The vineyards are located in the Rioja DOCa (Zone 3) within the Rioja Alta subzone at 500 meters (1,640 ft.) elevation. The three vineyards in Rioja Alta are La Llana, El Silo and San Bartolomé. The soils in the three vineyards that make up Exopto are composed of clay, limestone and gravel. Regarding the area’s climate, the average temperature from April-October is 63.7ºF with 15.4 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 pronounced fruit flavors.

Tasting notes:

“Exopto is made up of 60% Graciano, 30% Tempranillo, and 10% Garnacha that went through ML in barrel, 6 months in oak on its lees with batonnage, and 8 months resting quietly in French oak. Deep purple-colored, it gives up a nose of pencil lead, mineral, espresso, tobacco, and blackberry. Dense, structured, and lifted by vibrant acidity, this is a lengthy, complex offering that merits 5-6 years of cellaring. Its drinking window will extend from 2015 to 2027.”
--Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate, April 2010

Alcohol Content:

14.0%

UPC Code:

8436049640037