2018 Vintage
98pts
2016 Vintage
100pts
2016 Vintage
98pts
Denominacion de Origen
D.O.Ca. Rioja
Location
San Vicente de la Sonsierra
Varietal
A field blend of varieties comprised of 60% Tempranillo (various clones), 20% Garnacha, 2.5% Graciano, 1.1% Petit Bouschet, and 1.1% other red varieties. The white varieties comprise 4.4% Calagraño, 3.2% Torrontés, and 2.8% Viura
Vineyards
El Vardallo
Year(s) Planted
Grafted and planted with a field blend at the beginning of the 20th century
Viticulture
Extremely traditional Rioja viticulture. El Vardallo is 100% head trained and dry farmed. Worked entirely manually and plowed by horse. The Eguren family employs certain biodynamic techniques to ensure sustainability and maintenance of a diverse microbiome in the soil. The vineyards are naturally fertilized every two years.
Soils
Sandy clay loam soil that is low in organic matter. 35-40M in the subsoil there is a cap of iron and limestone rich clay, which is crucial for water retention. At this same depth, the mother rock is present as well.
Climate
Continental with heavy Atlantic influences that are moderated by the Sierra Cantabria.
Winemaking
The varieties were all destemmed by hand and sorted rigorously. All of the varieties besides the Garnacha were cofermented and comacerated in small wooden vats. The Garnacha fermented and macerated separately in a wooden vat. Maceration lasted for 21 days for the cofermented varieties and 15 days for the Garnacha. Malolactic fermentation in new French oak barriques and puncheons. The cofermented varieties underwent malolactic in one 500 L and four 225 L barrels. The Garnacha underwent malolactic in one 500 L barrel.
Aging
Comments
Sierra Cantabria Mágico represents the Eguren family's desire to produce a supreme wine from Rioja. Due to their long history with incredible single vineyard wines, they felt it was challenging to continue improving, but felt exceeding that quality was possible when they discovered the El Vardallo vineyard. Vineyards this old simply do not exist in Rioja, and its qualities are myriad. The field blend is an incredible wealth of strange and obscure varieties, each which add character and complexity to the final wine. There are multiple clones of Tempranillo, even Tinta de Toro planted in El Vardallo! Mágico exemplifies the qualities of many of Earth's most sought after wines.