2021-C Bodegas Mas Que Vinos ‘5/4’ Clarete Red Wine, Tierra de Castilla, Spain (750ml)
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A Monthly Wine Club Selection
A Clarete—a blend of red and white grapes— Mas Que Vinos’ 5/4 is made from a selection of 50-year-old bush vines grown on limestone and clay soils, and is a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 20% Airen and 20% Malvar. The four varieties were all hand harvested and co-fermented with spontaneous whole cluster fermentation and élevage in amphora. Bright garnet with a hint of magenta. Aromas of crushed red berries and herbes de Provence. The palate is bright, juicy and grapey; with flavors of tart blackberry, currant and red plum skins, mingled with white pepper and a touch of resin. Nicely balanced, with juicy acidity and a bit of balancing tannin on the finish.
Más Que Vinos was founded in La Rioja in 1998 by three winemaker friends, Margarita Madrigal, Alexandra Schmedes and Gonzalo Rodriguez. Seeing the great potential of the vineyards in Gonzalo’s hometown of Dosbarrios, they launched their own winery project rescuing old plots of indigenous grape varieties and moving to all organic viticulture. They renovated the old family winery (from 1851) and in 2007 constructed a new modern winery in nearby Cabañas de Yepes. Today, Más Que Vinos owns the 35-hectare Finca Horcajo and farms another 35 hectares in Dosbarrios, Cabañas de Yepes and Villarrubia. The climate is continental with very cold, dry winters and hot summers. Due to the high altitude (750 meters) the warm summer days are accompanied by cool nights—ideal conditions for perfect ripening of Cencibel, the local clone of Tempranillo. Cencibel is uniquely suited to the harsh climate, with its smaller, more compact bunch size and thicker skins, which withstand the area’s heavy winds.