La Rioja Alta Aster Crianza 2013
Garnet, medium pink rim. Clean, bright, ruby red with an intense pink edge. High aromatic intensity, typical of this Rioja Alavesa terroir, with notes of dark wild berries, blackberries, blueberries against a background of incense, cedar oil, ground coffee, liquorice, black pepper, mints and aniseed. A broader and softer style yet forcible entry; fresh with a good structure and a sweet, persistent tannic load. Pleasantly big aftertaste were notes of wild berry jam, liquorice, peppers, cedar oil and aniseed return in harmony a la Style La Rioja 904, simplified . Score is RP90 and Guia Penin 91. Really not bad. ABV 14.5%
The grapes were picked manually and kept refrigerated until they reached 4 °C (39 °F). After destemming and crushing, the grapes vatted for ten days at a temperature below 10 °C (50 °F); then there is a cold soak to highlight the characteristics of this grape. The alcoholic fermentation and maceration last for 16 days.
80% of the wines put in new French and Caucasian oak barrels underwent malolactic fermentation until late January 2015, with two bâttonages a week.
The wine aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels (40%), French oak barrels with two wines (35%) and new Caucasian oak barrels (25%). The wine was racked three times, employing traditional methods and bottled in October 2016.
