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Palacios Remondo La Montesa
DOCa Rioja
Tasting Notes
Juicy and lush, with notes of cherry, raspberry and orange peel that meld with Mediterranean herbal undertones to create a wine that is balanced, bright and lively.
Vintage Notes
As in recent years, the late arrival of the seasons meant a delayed but intense winter in our vineyard on the foothills of the Yerga mountains. The ongoing frosts, the unusually abundant rainfall, and the persistent snow on the highest elevations of the Sistema Ibérico mountains set the trend for the winter season right until the arrival of spring, when high temperatures brought budding forward - 25 days earlier than in the previous vintage. Fortunately, our vineyards escaped the intensely severe frosts on April 27 and 28 that affected virtually all of Europe’s most important wine regions to a greater or lesser extent. In the easternmost part of Rioja, higher than average temperatures brought flowering forward (to May 20 in La Montesa) with no problems in terms of fruit setting. During the first half of the summer, sequential rainfall fed our soils with the right amount of water for the vines to develop perfectly. Water stress was in perfect balance until August: the 39 litres of rain registered that month were not absorbed by the plant as the downpour came in the form of a storm. The first symptoms of stress were noticeable. Coupled with the high temperatures on the second half of August and early September, plants were forced to retain some water from the bunches in order to survive. The first estimates indicated a 15% drop in yields with regards to the entire harvest. The early vintage brought the harvest date forward to the earliest in 20 years. On September 8, around 20 days earlier than the usual date, we started to pick grapes. Under such uncertain circumstances, we proceeded with caution. The warm summery weather during the daytime was followed by a severe drop in temperatures at night time until October 12, when we finished grape harvesting on the higher parts of the estate. As plants were suffering from water stress at the end of the summer, sap stopped flowing so sugar levels were kept under check. Although acidity was slightly lower than in 2016, the cooler nights traced between the strong skin and the dense pulp of the berries, a master template plot that contains and shows the great wealth of this vintage grenache. The sensation of firmness is amazing and the wine appears savory, clean and exquisitely harmonious. It is the expression of an unique vintage bathed by sunlight.
Winemaking Notes
- Date of harvest: From September 12th to October 14th, 2017.
- Destemming-crushing: Yes.
- Alcoholic fermentation: Spontaneous in inox vats and pump over. Native yeast.
- Maceration: 35 days.
- Malolactic fermentation: Stainless steel vats.
- Ageing: 12 months in barrels.
- Clarification Yes.
- Cold stabilisation No.
- Filtering; Unfiltered.
Technical Info
- Grape varieties (%): 95% Garnacha, 5% Other red grapes.
- Age of vines: 32 years.
- Planting density of vines: 1,214 vines per Acre / 3,000 vines per Ha.
- Viticulture: Vineyard registered as ecological viticulture.
- Pruning style: Double cordon Royat and bush wines.
- Cultivation methods: Tractors and inter-vines process.
- Irrigation: No.
- Green harvesting: Yes, just one bunch by vine shoot.
- Production per hectare: 14.16 Hl Per Acre / 35 Hl per Hectare.
- Harvesting: Hand.
- Alcohol: 14%
- Total acidity: 5.3 g/l
- pH: 3.52
Tasting Notes
2016 La Montesa showcases the freshness, purity and elegance that Alvaro Palacios achieves from his family's estate in Alfaro. Juicy notes of cherry, raspberry and orange peel meld with herbal undertones to create a wine that is balanced, bright and lively.
Winemaking Notes
The grapes for La Montesa were harvested from October 5th to October 29th during a vintage classified as "very good". After destemming and crushing the grapes, alcohol fermentation was allowed to begin naturally with native yeast in stainless steel vats. The wine was aged for 12 months in barrel before release.
Technical Info
- Grape varieties (%): 92% Garnacha, 8% Other red grapes.
- Age of vines: 31 years.
- Planting density of vines: 3,000 vines per Ha.
- Pruning style: Double cordon Royat and bush wines.
- Irrigation: No.
- Green harvesting: Yes, just one bunch by vine shoot.
- Production per hectare: 85Hl Per Acre / 35Hl per Hectare.
- Alcohol: 14%
- Total acidity: 5.4 g/l
- pH: 3.44
Vintage Notes
2015 was rated as ‘very good’ by the D.O.Ca. Rioja’s control board. Favorable weather conditions in spring and summer produced perfect growing conditions for the vines, as evidenced by an excellent canopy development and plant health towards the end of verasion. Harvest began towards the middle of September and gradually accelerated until the first week of October, when ‘the most intensive harvesting period in Rioja’ usually takes place. During this period in 2015, more than 300 million kg of fruit arrived at the crush pads in Rioja and the grapes' excellent health prompted optimistic forecasts for the majority of wines. By all accounts it was on track to be a ‘great’ vintage, but poor weather during the second half of harvest resulted in outbreaks of grey rot, causing severe problems for many of Rioja Alta and Alavesa’s farmers. Thankfully the sub-region of Rioja Oriental was affected less and a careful selection performed both in the field and at the winery by Palacios Remondo’s superb winemaking team insured only the very best fruit went into tank for fermentation.
Winemaking Notes
Estate-grown Garnacha and Tempranillo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being de-stemmed and put separately into stainless steel tanks for a spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 35 days, an initial blend was made and the wine was aged for 12 months in new and used 90% French and 10% American oak barrels. The finished wine was left unfiltered and clarified with a gelatin miexture before first being bottled in Spring of 2017. Wine analysis: 4.9 g/l (0.49%) total acidity; 3.55 pH; 14.50% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 30-year-old head-pruned vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, the Palacios Remondo viticulture team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 1st to the 30th of October.
Vintage Notes
2014 was the thirtieth vintage rated as ‘good’ by the D.O.Ca. Rioja’s control board. Favorable weather conditions in spring and summer produced perfect growing conditions for the vines, evidenced by excellent canopy development and plant health towards the end of verasion. Harvest began towards the middle of September and gradually accelerated until the first week of October, when ‘the most intensive harvesting period in Rioja usually takes place. During this period in 2014, more than 300 million kg of fruit arrived at the crush pad and the grapes' excellent health prompted optimistic forecasts for the majority of wines. By all accounts it was on track to be a ‘great’ vintage, but poor weather during the second half of harvest resulted in outbreaks of grey rot, causing severe problems for many of Rioja’s farmers. An intense selection both in the field and at the winery was required in order make sure only the best fruit went into tank for fermentation. Considered to be a ‘good’ year for red wines, curiously, the control board unanimously found the 2014 rosés and whites to be of exceptional quality, most likely due to the fact that the varieties that make up these wines are all typically harvested first.
Winemaking Notes
Named after a hillside vineyard located on the northeastern slope of the Yerga mountain in eastern Rioja, La Montesa is a blend of the indigenous grape varieties that grow on the Palacios Remondo estate. Described by Luis Gutiérrez of Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate as being an ‘elegant, streamlined wine that is tasty with great freshness,’ the 2014 La Montesa showcases great balance and all of the lush, red berry and orchard fruit flavors that one expects when drinking an exceptional, Mediterranean Garnacha-based wine. Perfect when enjoyed by-the-glass on its own, La Montesa's multi-faceted flavor profile-including ripe nectarines, pomegranates, blood oranges and fresh strawberries, infused with hints of sweet spice -will pair well with any kind of cuisine. Estate-grown Garnacha and Tempranillo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being de-stemmed and put separately into stainless steel tanks for a spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 35 days, an initial blend was made and the wine was aged for 12 months in new and used 90% French and 10% American oak barrels. The finished wine was left unclarified, unfiltered and was first bottled in Spring of 2016.
Technical Info
Wine analysis: 5.3 g/l (0.48%) total acidity 3.55 pH 14.35% alcohol by volume
Vineyard Notes
Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. As the estate’s flagship wine, named Propiedad, was not made in this vintage, all of the estate’s 29-70 year-old head-pruned and trellised vines went into making the magnificent 2014 La Montesa. Each of the vines, owned by winemaker Alvaro Palacios in Rioja, are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA) in soil that is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era. Consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones and with excellent drainage, the area is very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their grapes, the Palacios Remondo team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 8thof October to the 11th of November.
The Palacios Remondo winery history stretches back five generations when the D.O.C. Rioja was first gaining notoriety as one of the premier winemaking regions of the world. José Palacios Remondo, father of renowned winemaker Alvaro Palacios, founded the Palacios Remondo estate in 1945. Alvaro Palacios, born at his family’s winery in Alfaro, became one of Spain’s winemaking super-stars for his successes in Priorat and Bierzo and was recently voted Decanter Magazine’s Man of the Year (March, 2015).
Tasting Notes
Described by winemaker Alvaro Palacios as being 'clear ruby-tocherry- red in color, with flecks of gold and silver', it is a cheerful wine, with an indescribable vitality. Full of Mediterranean orchard fruit aromas including nectarines, pomegranates and oranges, the palate 'contains vibrant and rich flavors of stone fruits, discrete spice and a vibrant chalky minerality'. Perfect when enjoyed by-the-glass on its own, La Montesa's multi-faceted flavor profile will pair well with any kind of cuisine.
Vintage Notes
The 2013 harvest in Rioja was classified by the D.O.Ca.’s control board as being ‘good’ in comparison to previous years. The estate’s east-south-east facing vineyard received 3,180 hours of sunlight and temperatures reached as low as 3.6° C in the winter and up to 30.7° C in summer. 276 mm of rain fell in 2013, identical to that of 2012, which Alvaro described as being ‘Mediterranean in character,’ due to the marked periods of extreme heat and high temperatures. A vintage with a much smaller production and slightly higher acidity, the 2013 PLÁCET Valtomelloso is a wine that can be enjoyed now or cellared up to ten years.
Winemaking Notes
Estate-grown Garnacha and Tempranillo clusters were selected first in the field and again on a sorting table, before being de-stemmed and put separately into stainless steel tanks for a spontaneous alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a long maceration of 23 days, an initial blend was made and the wine was aged for 12 months in new and used 90% French and 10% American oak barrels. The finished wine was left unclarified, unfiltered and bottled in Spring of 2015.
Technical Info
85% Garnacha & 15% Tempranillo Acidity 4.8 g/L pH 3.55 Alcohol 14.5%
Vineyard Notes
Located at an altitude of 1,800 feet, Palacios Remondo’s vineyards are grown at some of the highest points in Rioja. The 28-year-old head-pruned vines are hand-harvested, grown organically, and very narrowly spaced (3,000 plants per HA). Soil is comprised of sediments that stem from the Quaternary Era, consisting of clay and a stony-calcareous subsoil, covered in stones, with excellent drainage. Very low in organic material and with a moderated basic pH, the soil is perfect for growing high quality fruit. By dry-farming and dropping close to 40% of their fruit, the Palacios Remondo team ensures only the highest quality fruit is picked during harvest, which took place from the 10th of October to the 1st of November.
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