Estate: A pioneer in Rioja, Carlos [Charles] Serres left Bordeaux and founded one of the first wineries in the Haro area of Rioja in 1896. Fleeing phylloxera, Serres, an already famous French wine consultant, “found in Haro the perfect terroir to make Bordeaux style wines, with a climate and terrain which reminded him of the best terroirs in Bordeaux”. Merging French winemaking techniques with the Rioja terroir, Serres’ visionary approach focused on international export and was a phenomenal success. Forever changing the way wine was understood in the area, he remains “one of the key personalities in Rioja’s winemaking history”. Family owned and operated, with 150 acres of vineyards with an average vine age of over 30 years, it stands out as one of the few estates in the Rioja region that has been producing wine for over 100 years.
Winemaking: Grapes are handpicked from vines 10-20 years old. Aged 14 months in a combination of American and French oak barrels, followed by a minimum of 6 months ageing in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: Transparent garnet in colour, highly aromatic with black currant, black cherry, forest floor, vanilla and a trace of pencil lead. Layers of blackberry, plum, cherry and crushed black peppercorn are framed by silky tannins and fresh acidity. Fruit, spice and a hint of toasted oak linger between each sleek sip. Easy drinking and easy to pair with just about any dish. [It was fantastic with Mexican spiced roasted sweet potato, onion, pinto beans, soy chorizo, mole sauce and cilantro crema over a bed of pepper and lime wild rice.]
Pairing Suggestions from the Winery: Extremely versatile. A perfect match for Mediterranean cuisine such as vegetable or fish dishes, rice, pasta, beans, red and white meats, cheese.
85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha
Rioja
Spain
Estate Bottled by Carlos Serres S.L.
13% Alcohol
$12 [average price
Enjoy now thru 2019
Sample submitted for editorial consideration.
