2004 Bodegas Pujanza

The 2004 Pujanza was re-released in 2019. Carlos has kept a barrel of a number of top vintages to see what aging does with a wine. This single vineyard wine. The 38 year old vineyards are located at 600 meters on a clay / limestone soil located in Laguardia, DOCa. Rioja and is a 100% Tempranillo.

The first maceration lasted 5 days. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel barrels with daily transfer. A third of the wine saw malolactic fermentation in new French oak, the rest in stainless steel. Afterwards, the wine has aged for 14 months in new French oak barriques. Carlos has left 1 barrel which he recently bottled. What is striking is the incredible freshness that the wine still has. Now 2004 was a top year in the Rioja so that certainly helps but all the fruit is still fresh in the nose. The Christmas and black currant are still drifting out. In the mouth the wine also has a good acidity and the naturally firm tannins in the Pujanza wines are melted. The 2004 Pujanza is a good example and proof of how beautiful Pujanza wines can age.

Carlos San Pedro is the owner of Bodegas Pujanza, who uses an almost manic approach to produce wines of the highest level. Carlos' original idea was to produce a single single vineyard from Laguardia - the capital of the Rioja - with Pujanza. But gradually it became clear that the terroirs of the vineyards are unique and different so that he changed his mind and decided to blend the uniqueness of the terroirs in some of his wines. The Valdepoleo is the first wine that is completely single vineyard and it is expected that more wines will follow in the future. Carlos does not use external yeasts, and he consciously chooses to keep the amount of new wood low but also to raise the wines for longer in large (used) barriques. Bodegas Pujanza has approximately 30 hectares of vineyards, all of which are close to beautiful Bodega. The vineyards are all between 600 (Cisma) and 720 meters (Norte) height.