What makes this wine unique?

An elegant wine from Ribera del Duero. Made by gravity, it exhibits purity and balance. This is a low production wine: only 3,000 cases are made for the world. Juan Carlos Vizcarra is one of the pioneers of “garage winemaking” in Ribera. All grapes are organically grown.

Rating history:

Grape:

100% Tempranillo

Pairing Suggestions:

Pork and lamb, especially grilled or roasted, are ideal pairings for this wine, but beef, from steaks and roasts to more casual burgers, also works very well. If you like spices, this wine has the “stuffing” to stand up to Cajun or Midwestern BBQ and pulled pork, and it will go well with Greek gyros, Cuban ropa vieja and dishes with Mediterranean spices.

Vinification and ageing:

After selecting the best bunches, then the best berries, the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed. Maceration lasts 12-15 days during and after fermentation. The winemaking philosophy is to obtain a gentle extraction of primary material and tannins. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tank and malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel. The wine is aged for
seven months in French and American oak barrels, two years old. Relatively short aging in used barrels allows the wine to oxygenate and become softer and rounder without the added wood tannins of new barrels. This method lets the wine retain its
fresh, youthful fruit characters.

Production:

3,000 cases are made; 1,000 for the U.S.

Location, Soil, Climate:

Vineyards are located in the town of Mambrilla, at 849 meters (2,785 ft.) elevation. This town is in the northern central area of the Ribera del Duero DO (Zone 2), within Burgos province in Castilla y León. For soils, out of the eleven parcels farmed to make Vizcarra Roble, there is predominantly sand, clay, limestone and gravel. In 2011, vines in the eleven parcels were an average 24 years old. This is uncommon for a wine at this price point and a key factor for this wine's quality. Juan Carlos reduces yields by thinning grape clusters from 20 to 8 per vine, and by allowing other foliage to flourish around the vines to absorb the potentially excessive water and nutrients from the soil. Reducing the vine's yield and vigor maximizes the intensity and concentration in the grapes. The area's climate has an average temperature from April-October of 60'F and the average annual rainfall is 18 inches. From its higher altitude, Ribera del Duero's northern central area within Burgos has a cooler climate than either Toro or Rueda, to the west and southwest, respectively. Here, the wines are usually darker, more concentrated and have more forward aromas than wines made in the western part of Ribera del Duero. An extreme Continental climate, with cool nights and hot days with moderately low rainfall, provides a longer ripening period, and results in wines with greater complexity and more expressive, intense aromas. The temperatures at Vizcarra's vineyards are warmer than the neighboring bodega Torremorón and cooler than Hornillos Ballesteros-MiBal. Harvest usually begins the first week of October and ends by mid-month.

Tasting notes:

The 2009 Vizcarra Roble is purple colored, it gives up a first-class perfume of mineral, Asian spices, violets, and lightly roasted black fruits. This is followed by a succulent, full-flavored, voluminous wine with excellent balance and a long, fruit-filled finish. It is an outstanding value that over-delivers in a big way as well as a sneak preview of just how good the top wines from Ribera del Duero will be when released 2-3 years from now. Notes by Jay Miller (Wine Advocate).

Alcohol Content:

14%

UPC Code:

810411011034