By Bodegas Valdelacierva
Alfar Reserva

Wine Details
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Type: Reserva
Variety: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2017
Alcohol: 14.00%

Vineyard Details
Harvest: Hand-picked
Winemaker: Emma Villajos
Vineyard: Plots in Brinas and Banos de Ebro
Soil: Clay-calcareous with pebbles
Altitude: 550 meters
Vineyard Age: Over 50 years old
Yield: 5,000 kg/ha

Estate
Founded in 1988, Bodegas Valdelacierva belongs to Hispanobodegas Group, which owns wineries in the three most important Spanish appellations: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Rueda. Valdelacierva is located in the heart of the Rioja Alta (Navarrete). The estate has 200 hectares of vineyards, divided into small plots with vines between 25 and 130 years old. The winery has a young, dynamic personality and is focused on making wines where the soil and Tempranillo variety are their indisputable protagonists.

Production
De-stemmed and non-crushed grapes vatted in small capacity conical deposits. Fermentation is done at a controlled temperature of 24-26 degrees C for 5-7 days. Post-fermentation maceration with an average of 12 days per deposit. Malolactic fermentation in 225-l French oak barrels. Aging is carried over in those same barrels for 24 months.

Tasting Notes
Visual: Mature cherry color with garnet edging, high layer
Nose: Intense, complex, and harmonious, highlighting wild blackberries over a mineral background, toffee, cocoa, and French oak spiced notes
Palate: Well structured, gentle, wide, and meaty with a sustained and elegant ending with cocoa and toffee hints, long and persistent finish

Service
Serving Temperature: 14-16 degrees C
[Information provided by W. Direct]

BODEGAS VALDELACIERVA RIOJA ALFAR RESERVA 2017
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Country: Spain
Region: La Rioja
Vintage: 2017
Score: 90
Black cherries and other berries with some cedar and coffee undertones. Medium body, firm tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. Very drinkable and clean. 100% Tempranillo. Drink now.

Valdelacierva 2017 Rioja Reserva Alfar Tempranillo
Price: $39
Rating: 88
A strange and intriguing wine: On one side, it is Mediterranean herbs and blackberry, on another, it’s buttery with nutmeg spice. The wine’s oak tannins might suck all the oxygen out of your mouth if you drink it now; let it meld and mellow in a decanter, or in the bottle for several years. (12/21)
USA Wine West, Sausalito, CA