Viña Gormaz Crianza
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Goblet trained, ungrafted vines (average age of 80 years), that sit on sandy/calcerous loam soils in La Rasa at over 3,000 feet in elevation.
- Applause worthy stuff in its ability to provide a top level Ribera del Duero palate experience at a fraction of the price of some of the region’s more well-known names.
Varietal Composition: 100% Tempranillo
Elaboration: Fermentation at a controlled temperature of 83º F for 10 days. After the fermentation process, the wine is macerated for 10 days. After the malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is transferred to French and American oak barrels (new and previously used) for 14 months. The wine is then aged for 8 months in bottle before release.
Tasting Notes: Intense ruby red color. Ripe fruit aromas with hints of cocoa and roasted coffee. A touch of sweet fruit on the palate with a backbone of tannins and a little acidity makes this a complex and balanced crianza.
PRESS
2016 – 92 James Suckling | 92 Wine Enthusiast
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Viña Gormaz, a former cooperative that went into individual ownership in late 1970’s, is the undisputed leader in Ribera del Duero’s Eastern sub region of Soria – This zone has until recently been more or less overlooked, and we hold it in high esteem due to the unheard of concentrations of old vines that sit on original rootstock and continue to be propogated in that manner today. Fans of dusty, intense Ribera are wise to explore Soria’s individual villages deeply. You can think of grape sourcing in Ribera much as you do in Burgundy – Individual families own and control small plots, sometimes as minimal as a row or two of vines. As is the case with all of Viña Gormaz’s offerings, grapes come from 22 individual villages in Soria. Winemaker Maria Jose Garcia has been leading all activities here since 1999. It is worth noting that Viña Gormaz was one of twelve original wineries registered to Ribera del Duero upon the DOC’s creation in 1982.