Old Vines Tempranillo
D.O. La Mancha

The name Tempranillo originates from the word “Temprano” (early) and the grapes do ripen early - we started hand-picking our select blocks in early September. Upon reaching the winery near Toledo, the grapes were gently de-stemmed, lightly crushed and then cold-soaked for two days. 15% of the juice was then removed (a process called saignée) to further concentrate the must. During the first few days of fermentation in stainless steel tank, the temperature was kept at 18ºC to preserve the natural fruit flavors, then allowed to increase to 25ºC as the fermentation finished, to extract and maximize color and tannin from the grape skins. At the completion of malolactic fermentation, part of the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels for two months of aging, and to add a layer of barrel complexity to the final blend.