Bodegas Matarredonda is a relatively new wine maker with the wisdom of a producer that’s been around for as long as their centenary vines have. Their traditional philosophy in grape cultivation couples well with cutting edge technology in the grape selection and wine making process.
Juan Rojo is made with 80 to 120 year old Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) vines, that were thankfully, spared by phylloxera in the 19th century. A very small 1,250 (only 800 for the US) case, bright purple cuvee of concentrated, powerful scents of cassis and blueberry deepened by vanillin oak and mocha. Sweet
dark fruit liqueur flavors are held together by a hint of minerality, finishing with a note of licorice candy. It really clings to the palate.
The vines provide a full-bodied, deep magenta grape with a character all its own, intense as the summer sun and bursting with all the richness of its over one hundred year old vineyard.
In the wine making process, technique is fundamental for ensuring wine quality. In this case, by giving the natural wine making process the time it needs flourish. Eight months in French oak with a minimum of 12 months of bottle aging to produce this fine wine. Juan Rojo is an elegant wine that keeps its violet tone and naturally blends the fruitiness one expects from the Tinta de Toro.
The grapes undergo an exhaustive selection in the vineyard and then again in the winery. This selection forms the basis of their method, where all the natural variables involved in fermentation, right down to the last detail are checked, so that the wine will take on the fine qualities that aging brings out all on its own, without the need for extra clarifying or filtering.
The Toro district of the Spanish province of Zamora, climate, soil, and the Duero river caress these centuries-old vineyards in the Salgadero, Matarredonda and Matalobas estates. This IS the cradle of the "Tinta de Toro" grape, the finest of raw materials for making a truly great wine.
This wine is a very good value!
Decanting this wine is recommended.
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