Bodegas Ysios introduces its latest creations
Bodegas Ysios introduces its latest creations
As we at BASQUE LUXURY are members of Club Ysios, we had the opportunity a few months ago to taste the 2014 vintage from Ysios Winery exclusively. This excellent wine comes from vineyards that are over 40 years old and located in Elvillar and Laguardia. The 100% Tempranillo grapes were harvested at the beginning of October through manual means and got to the production facilities fully mature physiologically, phenolically, and aromatically speaking. Subsequently, after 20 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled in May of 2017, and it later came to rest in the darkness and silence of the wine cellar. This Reserva 2014 wine is the work of master winemaker Roberto Vicente and was thought up, above all, for the members of Club Ysios – true lovers of wine that have a space just for them at the winery, near the place where the barrels are stored for aging and where private tastings are held.
But the Reserva 2014 wine is not the only creation by Roberto Vicente; last summer he debuted two new, exceptional wines: Los Prados 2015 and Grano a Grano 2016. The first is made with Tempranillo grapes from vines planted at more than 600 meters of altitude, on calcareous clay soils, at a shallow depth and with natural draining; this is a low-yield soil that brings about high-concentration grapes, providing a wine with a nice freshness and good structure. The prestigious Master of Wine, Tim Atkin, has given it 95 points on the quality scale, putting it amongst the 100 best wines of the Rioja region. Grano a Grano 2016 is made with carefully selected Tempranillo grapes that are harvested and de-stemmed by hand to thus respect the purity of each individual grape to the maximum extent possible; this artisanal work has been honored with 97 points on the quality scale and selected as the best wine in the 2018 edition of the Decanter World Wine Awards.
These wines embody the terroir of the Rioja Alavesa region, thus tapping into the secrets held by the limestone soil that can be found at each of the vineyards. The company’s philosophy of micro-cultivation, which implies making wine in small batches, as well as its respect for the identity of the Tempranillo grape variety coupled with careful barrel selection all bring about unique, silky wines that are quite complex. To be able to enjoy them –especially in a pioneering place like Ysios Winery– is a true luxury.
Club Ysios
Camino La Hoya, Laguardia.
