BODEGAS ILURCE 2013 RIO MADRE GRACIANO RIOJA, SPAIN
Intense deep ruby, tight rim. Lingering black pepper and cloves, followed by tones of freshly split cedar, dry meat and coffee, dark fleshy plum and cherry fruit. Apparently, this experience points to an inverted RIojas' red fruit-sandalwood-spice-meat tasting paradigm. A smooth drinking Rioja with its extraordinary 100% Graciano composition, it gives a medium palate with black cherry and plum mix, well structured finely grained tannins, lengthy spice, with a stony minerality. The earthy finish lingers and ends with a strong peppery spice. Although this wine has a pure palate, this is not the wine to take lightly but instead; it should enjoy to its fullest.
With ripe tannin and sufficient acidity, this a food wine with strong mid-palate and soft texture.Try with Cantonese stew meat dishes. Slow savour over a good glass is fine; open decant 30 minutes and drink heartily is one option. Then it swallows smart despite the 14% ABV.
Seriously, how often do you find a bottle of wine with RP 91pts with this intensity and it costs like this?
A modern Rioja red wine, this wine was matured in French oak and made from 100% Graciano, a native Spanish grape enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The grapes for this wine come from vineyards that are approximately 20 years old. The vines are planted in the vaso system(just one spanish version of the globlet)on chalky soils located at 600 m (1,969 ft.) above sea level.Hence, the structure and natural acidities.
The grapes are hand-harvested into small baskets to prevent bruising. The bunches are brought to triage tables for selection of only the healthiest, ripest grapes. Hence, a certain ripeness in the palate.
The fermentation temperature is between 20°C and 25°C, which is low for a red. The extended slow maceration enables us to extract great aroma and colour potential. Malolactic fermentation, hence the suppressed fruit nose and palate. Hence, the smart palate.
