Taste:

Black Cherry, Black Currant, black plum, spice, vanilla, Cedar and licorice (from oak), tobacco and caramel.

Taste Profile:

Style:

Full-Bodied Red Wine

Description:

“This wine was born in 1994 as a tribute to the founders of the winery, the Real de Asúa brothers. It is produced with grapes harvested from the property vineyards in Villalba (Rioja Alta)”

Wine made from grapes grown on the Carromaza estate in Villalba, a municipality in Rioja Alta situated 600 m above sea level. The estate has a cold and windy Atlantic climate with a risk of frost. However, the slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria mountains offer protection. The head-trained, south-facing vines are cultivated in sandy soil with an annual rainfall of around 700 mm.

The grapes are hand-harvested in 20 kg boxes in mid-October and transported to the winery located just 5 km away.   The grapes undergo a double selection process, first in the vineyard and again on arrival at the winery. The whole grapes are cold macerated and semi-crushed by the next day. The grapes then pass by gravity and fill a small 5-year old French wooden vat. We use indigenous yeast and carry out remontage and pigeage. After alcoholic fermentation, the wine undergoes heat maceration for a few days. The date the wine is run off depends on sample tastings. The fermentation temperature ranges from 28-29°C.

After being run off, malolactic fermentation takes place in new French oak barrels. After the malolactic process, at the start of December, the wine is transferred into barrels (new and single-wine barrels).

97 Points James Suckling

Real de Asua Tasting Notes:

This is a cherry-colored, brooding wine. Its entrance is smooth with a step marked by a tannin which is perfectly balanced with the unctuousness of the wine. The aromatic intensity gives us a wide range of aromas. We can find the fruits from the forest, highlighting blueberries and gooseberries, licorice and aromas from the ageing in french oak barrels, such as clove, smoked or roasted flavors, toffees,

This wine needs decanting and opening at least one hour before drinking, the wine keeps evolving in the glass.

Food Pairing:

Roast Lamb, Roast beef, smoked meats, pork, game, Iberico and Iberian pork. Strong cheese. Meat savoured pasta like lasagna and baked macaroni; chorizo.