2020 Palacios Remondo Rioja Reserva Selección Especial La Montesa

We could call Álvaro Palacios a magician. Together with his cousin, he put Bierzo on the map and makes beautiful wines in Priorat. However, his roots lie in Rioja, where the family estate Palacios Remondo is located. The vines have an average age of 34 years. In addition to Garnacha, there are a few other grape varieties planted, about 5% of which are used in this wine. Álvaro Palacios has a preference for wines that reflect the terroir. He makes such wines in Bierzo, in Priorat, and now also in Rioja. The fact that it is a crianza - two years of maturation, one year of which in wood - is of After the harvest, a strict selection takes place, only the best fruit goes through to the fermentation tank. Fermentation takes place spontaneously in stainless steel tanks. The wine then matures for 12 months on a mix of French and American oak. When his father died in 2000, he returned to take over the oenological management of the company. The vineyards of Palacios Remondo are located in the eastern part of Rioja, where the Garnacha grape generally thrives better. The result is a beautiful expression of Garnacha with strawberries, forest fruits and sweet spices due to the wood aging. La Montesa Selección Especial is the big brother of La Montesa and is only made in the best years. secondary importance. For Álvaro Palacios, the terroir is much more important and so it gets a place on the label: Monte Yerga. The vineyards are located on the foothills of the mountain, at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level.

The Reserva Selección Especial La Montesa has a beautiful ruby red color in the glass with the typical notes of aromatic Garnacha in the nose with lots of cherries and plums, somewhat floral and some sweet spices such as nutmeg, cedar, cinnamon due to the wood maturation. In the mouth the wine has a good structure and concentration, with supple tannin and is clearly a bit fuller than its little brother the La Montesa. This Reserva has a nice balance between the ripe fruit and the sweet spices of the wood use. Delicious with manchego and jamon. Also delicious with albóndigas in tomato sauce.