Cuesta de las Liebres 2011

OUR WINES

The result of the effort

Only in single vintages

In selected harvests from the Pago de Carraovejas vineyards, we select single bunches of grapes from our own clones of the Tinto Fino variety (100%) at the right moment of ripeness.

Varieties: Tinto Fino (100%)
Alcohol by volume: 15.5%.
Soils: Tertiary geology of limestone marl with outcrops of calcareous salts of a very characteristic whitish tone.
Altitude: 850 to 900 meters. Elevation difference of up to 35%.
Harvest: manual, in boxes 15 kg.

Climatic year

This year grapes were harvested between the 26th of September and the 14th of October. The abundance of sun and lack of water shortened the growing cycle down to nearly one month before usual. Despite being a very hot year the lack of water made for healthy grapes and provided the conditions for varieties like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen optimally. In the case of the Merlot, because there were no rains during the flowering stage, making for perfect grape setting, and for the Cabernet Sauvignon, for the possibility of a long maturation cycle. These conditions made for excellent vintage, with grapes of exceptional color and perhaps the making for Gran Crianza wines.

Soils

The vineyard is located on a hillside at 900 metres above sea level with 30%-40% slopes. Vertical Axis growing system. High minerality limestone soils, with white calcareous salts. The vineyard was planted in 1994.

Elaboration

Grapes are handpicked and taken to the winery in small crates . After spending a few hours in a refrigerating chamber the grapes are placed into the vats by gravity. Both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations are carried out in small French oak Haute Futaie vats with yeasts and bacteria found at the estate ,allowing the wines to fully express the terroir and respecting each vintage ́s unique characteristics. The wine gently flows into the extra fine-grain French oak barrels by gravity flow where it will spend 24 months. Fined with natural egg white and bottled by gravity with selected natural cork stoppers in April 2014.