Rioja, Spain
A single hectare vineyard of Tempranillo is the source for this sensational Rioja. There's dark fruit notes on the nose and the prominence of oak is evident on the nose and on the palate. Plums, cassis, dark chocolate and leather form the core of the palate with the more gentle notes of dill, lavender and smoke on the fringes. The oak comes up in the texture of the wine, too, with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Fire up the BBQ for your next dinner of lamb chops, porterhouse steak or spiced chicken.
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La Calleja is a single hectare planted in 1992 by Eva with her father, when she was a little girl. La Calleja means 'little street'. Mountainous, with lots of stone in the soil, Fonzaleche village produces light and fluid wines with excellent acid structure. Typical handling regime: ageing 14 months in 500 litre new, 1 and 2 year-old French oak. Ageing in 500 litres barrels means the wine can't be labelled as Crianza or Reserva (300 litres is the maximum size authorized for wood-aged appellates in Rioja). La Calleja is one of a tiny handful of genuine cru wines in Rioja. A true bargain.